A man has been found dead after a suspected gas explosion which left a house decimated.
A major incident was declared on Saturday evening when a house in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, exploded after a major ‘gas leak’.
Aerial footage of the home showed the property completely destroyed with a huge amount of debris sprawling onto the street.
Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed this afternoon that the body of a man in his 50s was recovered from the wreckage.
Emergency services attended to the man but were unable to save him. The male was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chief inspector Clive Collings of Nottinghamshire Police said: ‘This is an extremely serious incident that has led to a man’s untimely death.
‘The man’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
‘I have no doubt that this incident will have come as a shock to the community in Worksop.’
Devastating aerial photos show a house struck by a major ‘gas explosion’ in Worksop, Nottinghamshire
The terraced property was ‘partially destroyed,’ with adjoining homes suffering serious damage
Multiple residents from in and around the street were evacuated as emergency services worked at the scene along with colleagues from Nottinghamshire County Council.
An investigation is ongoing to establish the cause of the explosion and anyone who may have been in the area at the time is now accounted for.
Inspector Collings added: ‘It is likely that the cordon and road closures will remain in place for some time as we carry out our investigations.
‘I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation of local residents and thank them for their patience.
‘Officers will remain in the area to carry out enquiries relating to the investigation and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak with an on-duty officer.
‘It is an offence to fly a drone over or near to an ongoing emergency response without permission and I would ask that people refrain from doing that.
‘I would also like to thank all partners, including our emergency services colleagues at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service, who have worked throughout the night in response to this incident.’
The public has been advised to avoid the area with investigations ongoing.
Residents rushed to the street yesterday evening after hearing a ‘loud’ bang
Images show the ruined house, with people on social media reporting hearing a ‘huge’ bang
The nearby Crown Place Community Centre was opened as a place of safety for residents.
Residents living nearby recalled hearing a loud ‘bang’ on Saturday evening – presumably when the house exploded.
On X, formerly Twitter, one person asked at around 8pm: ‘Did anyone else hear a loud bang /explosion sound in Worksop North Nottingham around 30 minutes ago?’
A Facebook user posted at about 8.10pm: ‘I was driving back from Mass this evening, just turned into Gladstone Street from Gateford Road, when there was a terrific bang, like a very loud firework! I thought the back end had blown off my car.
‘A house in John Street has had, presumably, a gas explosion!’
Karolina Ciolko, who lives nearby, told the BBC: ‘I was lying in bed when I heard an explosion.
‘I quickly looked out the window. I saw smoke and the car in front of me rocked, and the alarm went off. We quickly ran out of the house to see what had happened.’
Anyone who has any additional information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 612 of April 12, 2025.
