A man has been killed in a gas explosion in Wythenshawe tonight.
Emergency services descended on Brownley Road at around 6.30pm tonight following the huge explosion. Sadly, a man was found dead inside, GMP said.
A spokesperson tonight said: "Emergency services attended Brownley Road, Manchester, at about 6:30pm tonight (31 March 2022) after reports of a gas explosion.
"Sadly, a man was located deceased inside a property. A number of houses were evacuated and the scene made safe at about 8pm.
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"Several properties are without power and emergency services remain on scene this evening with road closures in place. Investigations are ongoing and officers are supporting the deceased man's family."
Witnesses spoke of the terrifying moment the house exploded metres from where they were standing. Residents reported hearing a 'huge explosion' coming from a property on the street that 'shook their houses like an earthquake', with images showing a huge hole in the front of the house.
Large numbers of fire crews and police officers are in place in the street, with a cordon in place opposite Crossacres tram stop. Residents living nearby have been evacuated, with those closest to the house given temporary accommodation overnight.
The entire row of houses were immediately evacuated following the explosion, with homeowners quickly being urged to leave their properties. Approximately 20 houses were ushered to leave, as groups frantically called family and friends for somewhere to stay overnight.
Many were told they would be unable to return until Friday, as others, living at either end of the cordoned area on Brownley Road, were told they could return at some point in the night but would have no access to gas or electricity.
Neighbours stood and watched on from the cordon in horror, with many visibly distressed and embracing one another. One person said: "I was sat inside the house and heard a huge bang. There are a lot of accidents on here so at first, I thought there had a been a car crash outside but couldn't see anything from the window."
He went on: "Within minutes, we had a knock on the door telling us we had to leave immediately. As I came out, I saw the huge clouds of smoke coming from the window."
One man, Matt Muncaster, 27, said there was 'an almighty bang' as the tram turned to get into Crossacres.
"As I got off and looked at the house, there was instantly loads of smoke. All the windows were blown out and the glass was all over the road," he said.
"I ran over and a neighbour was shouting the name of the man who lives there, to try and get an idea of if he was conscious and at home. Me and another gentleman tried to kick the door down but couldn't get enough force to kick it in."
Mr Muncaster, who said he believed it could have been a gas explosion, said there was a huge emergency services response within minutes.
"Within 10 minutes there was 3 fire engines there, around 10 or 12 police cars, with the officers evacuating nearby houses and asking onlookers to distance themselves from the house as some firemen were hosing water through where the upstairs window was, just in case there was a live fire in the building that we couldn't see.
"At the same time there was more firemen trying to enter the house and managed to get in pretty quickly. Then around 4 or 5 ambulances were on the scene within the next 10-15 minutes. From this point I had to leave the scene to get home but all that is what happened within 30 minutes of it happening."
Residents have been evacuated nearby and offered hot drinks in the nearby church. Richard Walker, Deacon of the Brownley Green Baptist church, was taking a meter reading when the explosion happened. He opened up and started offering cups of tea, biscuits and warmth for people living nearby.
“It’s what we do. It’s about supporting the community. We heard the explosion and saw all the smoke and immediately went back inside. I legged it to Asda to get milk and snacks for everyone.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: "At around 6.30pm today (31 March), crews were called to reports of a fire at a domestic property on Brownley Road in Manchester. Four fire engines from Bolton North, Cheadle, Wythenshawe and Stockport stations, and the Technical Rescue Unit from Ashton attended.
"Firefighters assessed the scene and are using breathing apparatus and hose reels to control the fire and make the scene safe. Crews are working with colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and North West Ambulance Service and are currently still on the scene."
