A neighbour whose home was close to the blast said: "We are all fine just shaken and worried about the house as we have no door or windows and the roof's damaged. "He was so precious to us. George Hinds, two, died in the blast in May, Two houses collapsed and a third was seriously damaged in the blast. We went to the road and saw the rubble up the street. We have heard from an elderly couple who left in their pyjamas. A toddler has tragically died in a suspected gas explosion in Heysham, it has been confirmed. Officers were called to reports of an explosion at 2.40am, she said. He says Greenham must have been aware that his neighbours were in close proximity as he carried out the reckless act of cutting gas pipes. She then "had to cope with the mounting dread of what happened to her son". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A two-year-old boy has died and four other people have been injured in a suspected gas explosion in Heysham, Lancashire that destroyed two homes. A major incident has been declared in Heysham, Lancashire,. We expect proceedings to get under way from around midday. We will bring you live updates on this incident via our live blog below. 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Stephanie Shepherd of Littledale Avenue said: At 2.30 there was an enormous bang. A gas explosion in north Lancashire that killed a two year old boy was not caused by issues with nearby mains and service pipes, according to the company that manages them. She said people were donating clothing and toiletries to evacuated residents. George was described as a "beautiful little angel" by his parents, who said they were devastated by his death. Aerial footage shows the devastation caused by a gas explosion which claimed the life of a two-year-old boy. Recorder Robert Altham has entered the court. Expected to be ongoing for several hours until building assessments are complete. One of those two destroyed properties was the home of little George and his parents, with George's life taken away in the blast. Morecambe and Heysham Past and Present Facebook group have set up a fundraiser to help the people of Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham after the devastating explosion in the early hours of this morning, and the very sad loss of a young life. He initially told them he had no memory of what happened but later confessed that he alone was responsible. The general public has been fantastic and they have risen to the challenge.. Share; 12:32 Tom Earnshaw. "Road closures also remain in place and people are being asked to avoid the entire area while we deal with this ongoing incident. 'An incredible amount of work has been done at the scene in a relatively short space of time and as well as identifying the source of the explosion we have also managed to recover some items of George's, which I know means a lot to his parents. Ms Moten said: "Since the incident, our engineers have been on-site working with the emergency services and supporting customers in the area.". There are reports that the explosion was heard and felt from several miles away in Morecambe and Torrisholme. VideoThe man facing 291 years in jail, An audacious heist that stunned Britain. Any death of a child is of course a terrible tragedy, particularly seen by the suffering of George's parents. A two-year-old boy has died and four other people have been injured in a suspected gas explosion in Heysham, Lancashire that destroyed two homes. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the blast in Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire, on 16 May. 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Sadly, we can now confirm a young child has died and four other people have been injured, two seriously. In a statement they said: We are devastated at the loss of our beautiful George. We didn't know what it was.". A number of residents have been evacuated and are being looked after by the local authority. Two houses collapsed and a third was seriously damaged. Ms Brandwood said: 'The general public has been fantastic. Lancashire Fire said in a tweet that units were called to a row of terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue in the early hours of Sunday and that firefighters are searching a collapsed property. The parents of the two-year-old boy have paid tribute to their beautiful little angel' following the tragedy on Mallowdale Avenue. Mallowdale Avenue, Littledale Avenue and Kingsway are affected. "We are very conscious that people were evacuated from their homes with immediate effect. Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. We are currently working with gas service engineers to make the area safe. Recorder Altham lists anti-social behaviour including frequent bonfires, which prompted complaints seven or eight times a year. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the blast. Answering the defence's submissions, he says: To give even serious injuries when self inflicted on the backdrop on the death of a child would be completely unfair. 'There are a lot of people who want to do good, but they don't know how to go about doing it, so by putting something in place, they always rise to the challenge. Aerial photos show the ruins of a number of properties in the terrace, as emergency workers search through the rubble. Recorder Altham is outlining the events which led to the explosion, as George lay somewhere where he should have been safe. "A safety cordon has been put in place and nearby residents have been evacuated. Road closures are also in place and people are being asked to avoid the area. First published on Sun 16 May 2021 01.37 EDT. The North West Ambulance Service tweeted that it had sent units to the scene to "ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible". Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Ben Norman, tells us that 10 fire engines with around 80 firefighters attended the scene at the height of the incident. Lancashire Police said in a statement: 'Detectives, assisted by gas experts, have been carrying out a fingertip search of the scene following the explosion and have now identified the cause of the explosion as a gas pipe which had been cut inside No. Ive been very lucky. Paul Marsh, 54, of Banks Crescent, has now also been charged with theft and criminal damage. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Two houses collapsed and a third was seriously damaged in the blast. Firefighters, paramedics and police also remain at the scene. Ive been very lucky. We stayed indoors and switched everything off at the source and then sat up all night worrying.. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Police later confirmed that a young child had died in the tragedy, while four others - two men and two women- were taken to hospital. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the blast in Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham on 16 May.. He was stripping the pipes to sell for 400 to buy a car. A Gofundme page set up to help Mallowdale Avenue residents had raised more than 20,000 in just over four hours. Lancashire police said in a statement: "We remain at the scene of a suspected gas explosion. We have 10 fire engines in attendance and we are working with partners at the scene. An explosion which killed a two-year-old boy was caused by a gas pipe inside a neighbouring property which had been cut, police say. It sounded like a bomb went off," one resident says to me. Sharon and Darren Greenham, aged 51 and 44, of Ambleside Avenue in Lancaster, have been charged with manslaughter and theft. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. We have no words to describe how we feel and just want time to ourselves to come to terms with what has happened. George's parents Vicky Studholme and Stephen Hinds, who lived at number 18, were also injured but have since been discharged from hospital. Play it now! 1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat. Four other people were hurt in the explosion, which destroyed two homes and seriously damaged a third. Video1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. The fire service tell us that at this stage it is not clear what has caused the explosion. He was also abusive when drunk and on drugs, as were his visitors. Some 55 other properties were damaged with six homes evacuated and some neighbours forced to move out for more than a year. As a mark of respect for the victims of the explosion in Heysham, I feel it would be a lovely tribute for all locals in Lancaster and Morecambe to take part in a doorstep minute silence, followed by a minute clap for the emergency services who are currently working hard around the clock to support all the families affected. "From what we gather it's taken two or three houses with it. Theres been lots and lots of people and police around and everyone trying to help everybody else. They continue to be supported by specially trained officers. A GoFundMe page set up to help those affected by the blast had reached more than 18,000 by Sunday afternoon. At the time of the explosion, I was on drink and drugs having been dependent for years. A huge emergency response was triggered with ten fire engines, police and ambulance crews rushing to the scene. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. #newshour4u #update # SUBSCRIBE To Get All NEWS First http://newshour.tk Morecambe Gas Explosion destroys 3 houses at . Heysham explosion: Aerial shots show devastating destruction, Aerial shots show devastating destruction of the deadly gas blast, The explosion almost completely destroyed the home, George Arthur Hinds was killed in the explosion. 'I was awoken by a loud bang': Witnesses describe scene of explosion, By Sky reporter Sadiya Chowdhury, who is at the scene. While drunk and high on drugs, Greenham cut copper pipes in his council house with the mindset to sell before being evicted from the property. Two . Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? THE parents of a toddler who was killed in a suspected gas explosion have paid tribute to their "beautiful little angel". To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. Download the LancsLive app for free on iPhone here and Android here. 2023 BBC. "Our officers attended and found two houses collapsed and serious damage to a third property. "We can now confirm that sadly a young child has died as a result of the incident. The child, whose age has not been given, was declared dead at hospital said Matt House, consultant paramedic with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). Parents pay tribute to George Arthur Hinds as two adults remain critically injured in hospital. Police investigating a gas explosion at a house in Heysham in which a toddler died have now charged two people with manslaughter. Two-year-old George Hinds died in the blast in Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham . Ben Norman, the assistant chief fire officer, said an investigation into the cause of the blast would be carried out slowly and methodically. Please place items in the boxes on the tables to keep them dry in case it rains. "A major incident has been declared after we called to terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue. Our thoughts are with all those affected.. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. A child was killed and four adults injured after a suspected gas explosion ripped through three homes in the middle of the night. People were already outside. Due to your consent preferences, youre not able to view this. 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