A woman and two men have been rushed to hospital after a ‘gas blast’ blew out the windows of a London takeaway.
The suspected gas explosion burst the front of a top floor flat above a chicken shop on Western Road, Southall, just before 1:30pm today, sending glass and wood flying onto the road.
The condition of the three people remains unknown while others have been treated by paramedics at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade evacuated nearby homes and shops, while the main road remains blocked in both directions with buses on diversion.
Meanwhile, around 40 firefighters from Southall and Feltham raced to the scene and had the incident under control by 4:05pm.
A woman and two men have been rushed to hospital after a ‘gas blast’ blew out the windows of a London takeaway on Western Road, Southall
The suspected gas explosion burst the front of a top floor flat above a chicken shop just before 1:30pm today, sending glass and wood flying onto the road
The condition of the three people remains unknown while others have been treated by paramedics at the scene
The Brigade confirmed the first floor and roof of the two-storey building ‘suffered significant structural damage’ before a fire erupted after the blast, according to MyLondon.
Police said they were called to reports of a ‘suspended gas explosion’ at 1:27pm and that emergency services are still at the scene.
Melissa Dias, 30, was travelling on a bus when the explosion hit the side as she travelled with her family.
She told the Evening Standard: ‘I was holding my son in my lap. Suddenly I heard this blast, it was so quick. I was blank for five seconds. The window frame and curtains from the shop came with full speed and banged the bus really hard.’
A Police spokesperson said: ‘Road closures are in place and people are advised to avoid the area at this time.’
Station Commander Simon Horn, who was at the scene, said: ‘Crews were joined by our Urban Search and Rescue team using specialist equipment to carry out a systematic search of the property.’
He added that crews worked as quickly as possible in a challenging situation to extinguish the fire.
MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for further comment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk