Three injured in suspected gas explosion
The suspected gas blast happened in Hugh Street in Whitehaven, police said
- Published
Three people have been seriously injured in a suspected gas explosion.
Cumbria Police said emergency services were called to an address in Hugh Street in Whitehaven at 16:23 GMT.
Two men and a woman have been taken to hospital with serious injuries, the force confirmed.
Whitehaven councillor Joseph Ghayouba, who represents the Bransty ward, told BBC Radio Cumbria the "tight knit" community was in a "state of shock" but was rallying to help those affected.
He said: "I've been inundated with messages from residents offering places to come spend the evening if they've got nowhere to go, people offering blankets and clothes and a place for the night.
"The community is really stepping up."
Crews from Cumbria Fire and Rescue and the North West Ambulance Service are at the scene, as well as engineers from Northern Gas Networks (NGN).
The emergency services are urging people to avoid the area.
They also said "all known persons" were accounted for but work to confirm this was "ongoing".
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