We're now bringing our live coverage of today's incident in Bedford to a close.

Image source, Reuters

In case you missed it, here's what we know so far:

• An explosion was heard in the Redwood Grove area of the town about 09:30 BST
• Dozens of police, fire service and ambulance crews, plus an air ambulance were deployed to the scene where flats were on fire
• Three people, including a firefighter were injured - one of those was seriously injured and taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge by the air ambulance
• Witnesses had described hearing a "huge boom" and emergency services later confirmed this had been a gas explosion
• The resulting fire engulfed 20 flats and nearby homes were evacuated
• An emergency centre has been set up to help those who cannot return to their homes

You can read more on this story here.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Penny Whitmore, who lives near the flats, said it had been an "emotional" day.

"You worry about what people are going through," she said.

She said she had got home from work and was in her house when she felt something that was "almost like an earthquake".

"I came outside to see the building behind me was on fire, loads of flames and lots of smoke," she said.

Image source, Kate Bradbook/BBC

Ms Whitmore said the air ambulance landed in the nearby school.

She said she was hoping everyone in the building was able to get out safely.

"Property is property, as long as people are safe, alive and well, and have managed to get out of that," she said.

The East of England Ambulance Service has just told the BBC that three people - one of whom was a firefighter - have been taken to hospital after this morning's explosion in Bedford.

A spokesperson for the service said: “We were called at 9.33am today to a significant fire at a block of flats in Redwood Grove, Bedford.

"Three ambulances, the Hazardous Area Response Team, a tactical commander, three operations managers and the Magpas Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.

"One person was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for treatment for leg injuries, while two people, one of whom was a firefighter, were conveyed to Bedford Hospital South Wing with smoke inhalation."

Image source, Magpas

Medics from the Magpas air ambulance charity, external were among emergency services responding to the explosion.

A spokeswoman said: "The Magpas Air Ambulance was called to an incident in Bedfordshire this morning (4th), landing at the scene at 9:53am.

"The Magpas Air Ambulance medical team - comprised of two doctors and one critical care paramedic - assessed two patients and provided one with advanced medical care at the scene, before airlifting them to Addenbrooke’s Hospital."

Image source, Kate Bradbrook/BBC

Bali Mummon said she had been out shopping and came back to the aftermath.

"I came down the road and I saw people standing at the fence at the end of the road and I was wondering what they were looking at.

"Then I saw in the distance there were huge flames coming out at the top of the flats, lots of smoke and everyone in bit of a frenzy.

"When I came closer, my uncle was outside his house and my cousin and my aunty, so they were the ones who said they had heard a big bang and the house shook," she said.

She added: "You're hoping there are no fatalities and that people have managed to get out but it's a horrible, horrible thought and you feel helpless because you're just standing there watching and you can't help them."

Here is more video showing the height of the large fire that followed this morning's gas explosion.

Flames can be seen inside the block of flats through its windows and across its badly damaged roof, with thick plumes of smoke engulfing the area.

Crews remain on site as the clean-up operation continues.

Dezsoba Lazs, who lives on Redwood Grove, said he "heard an explosion and ran out and part of the building had collapsed".

Image source, Sarah Jenkins/BBC

"I heard a big noise and after that I grabbed my family and we ran out," he said.

"Everybody just started to run around and then the rescue services arrived.

"Everybody just tried to look after their loved ones and [the rescue services] helped us to move away from the danger side.

"We are just waiting now to see when we can return to our flats, whether it will be possible today or tomorrow."

Image source, South Beds News Agency

A cordon continues to surround the scene of a gas explosion and fire that badly damaged a block of flats in Bedford.

Police officers and several fire engines remain at Redwood Grove, several hours after this morning's gas explosion and fire.

John Riley, 78, who lives in the adjacent block of flats at Redwood Grove, said he was walking from his kitchen to his living room when there was a "very loud explosion".

"It knocked me off my feet," he said.

He said when he went outside, he saw the block of flats on fire.

Image source, Sarah Jenkins/BBC

"The roof was on fire, there were bricks from the wall lying in the road, some 50ft away, so it was obviously a big explosion.

"If it blew me off my feet in the adjacent block, what did it do to people in the block where the explosion was?," he added.

A community centre is appealing for donations of food, bedding and clothing for those affected by the explosion on Monday morning.

Shirley Claxton, chairperson at the Scott Hall Community Centre, external, said the incident was a "massive shock".

Image source, Google

"I live a main road away from Redwood Grove and heard the massive bang this morning and didn't know what it was until I heard it onThree Counties Radio," she said.

"We're open at the back of the centre, off Faldo Road, from 10:00 to 18:00 BST for donations of bedding, clothing and food for the families."

Video from the scene of a gas explosion showed a three-storey building partially collapsed and the rest burnt out.

Two people were taken to hospital after fire ripped through 20 flats in Bedford, destroying the roof.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

A large presence of emergency services remains at the scene of the explosion on Redwood Grove in Bedford.

A police cordon is in place and several fire engines are behind it.

Those who live in the affected area are awaiting information about whether their homes are safe and when they can return.

One resident says he is unaware if the flat he lives in, in the building next to the site of the explosion, is affected.

He fled from the building with his family when he heard the initial explosion.

He said the community had pulled together to help those affected and that many residents and children would have been out at the time of the explosion due to school and work.

Eyewitness Adrian Marz said he got out of the building with his partner when he heard the explosion and started knocking on people's doors to get others out as well.

"I saw the walls being torn apart... and all of the windows out, and smoke and flames pretty much instantly," he said.

Image source, Justin Dealey/BBC

"There's been so much debris flying out of everywhere - ashes, smoke, dust, fire - just instantly everywhere - blazing out of the windows - and that's why people started to jump.

"I saw a couple of people jump out of the building and started helping them out, bringing them away from the fire, away from the danger."

Image source, South Beds News Agency

He said he saw people jumping out of the flat that was directly affected and another man on the other side of the building who seemed like he had "just been blown out of the window" by the blast.

"I saw the debris flying everywhere and people just coming out of the building crying," he said.

"It really has been a traumatic experience."

Eyewitness, Adrian Marz, who lives in a top floor flat in a block adjoining the one where the explosion happened said many flats around the site have been affected including his and his neighbours.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

"It blew up half of the building and all of the windows around it, it was extremely loud, it startled me straight away," he said.

"When I heard the explosion, I didn't even think it would affect my flat - you don't think about those things.

"[But] right now I've got nowhere to live, my house just burnt down and yes, I'm left wondering what's next."

Pictures from the scene of a gas blast in Redwood Grove, Bedford, show extensive damage to a block of flats after an "inferno".

Police said two people were injured in the blast, one seriously.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

• Two people have been taken to hospital, one with serious injuries, after a "major gas explosion" at a block of flats in Bedford.
• It happened in the Redwood Grove area of the town at about 09:30 BST and fire engulfed 20 flats.
• A witness described hearing "a huge boom", and video shared online showed flames and smoke billowing from the roof.
• A resident described seeing a person jumping from a second-floor window to escape the burning building.
• Nearby Shackleton Primary School has been evacuated and emergency services have asked people to avoid the area.

A nearby primary school has been evacuated as a result of the fire on Redwood Grove.

Andy George, head teacher at Shackleton Primary School, external, said: "Following the fire in the Redwood Grove area of Bedford earlier today, pupils at Shackleton Primary have been sent home due to the school's proximity to the incident.

"All children are safe and the school is working with the emergency services. The school expects to reopen tomorrow."

Image source, PA Media

A local resident says they saw a person jumping from a second-floor window to escape the burning building in Bedford.

"I heard the explosion from my house round the corner," the resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the PA news agency.

"I walked to town and saw the flames and also witnessed someone jump from the second-floor window whilst flames were blaring out."

Image source, Adam Fisher/PA

Image source, PA Media

People who have been evacuated from the three-storey block of flats are being supported at a leisure centre, the fire brigade said.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, external said people were being encouraged to head to the John Bunyan Centre, external for support.

It said an adjacent block of flats had also been evacuated.

"We are working as quickly as we can to get people back into their homes as quickly as possible," the fire service said.

Image source, Justin Dealey/BBC

Police say two people have been taken to hospital, one with serious injuries, following the explosion and fire.

The incident happened in the Redwood Grove area of Bedford at about 09:30 BST, and fire engulfed 20 flats.

Bedfordshire Police said two people were hurt as the explosion caused a "large portion of the roof to collapse".