German Shepherd dog dies and man fighting for life after County Durham house explosion

A German Shepherd dog has died and a man is now in a critical condition after a house explosion in County Durham.

Emergency services descended on Coronation Terrace in Willington in the early hours of Monday morning following an explosion at a property. Nearby residents were evacuated and one man was taken to hospital as the street was cordoned off.

Firefighters and police remain at the scene today as crews continue to work in the area. The man in his 40s who sustained injuries was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and he is said to be in a critical condition.

• Read more: 13 pictures of County Durham home explosion that saw property destroyed and man hospitalised

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Durham Constabulary has since confirmed that a young German Shepherd dog also died during the incident. Most of the nearby residents who were evacuated as a precaution following the explosion. have since been allowed to return to their homes.

A cordon remains in place around the scene while police and fire investigators work to establish the cause. Anyone that has any information that could assist the investigation should call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 20 of June 24. The force is also urging people not to speculate online about the circumstances until a thorough investigation has been carried out.

Footage and pictures from the scene yesterday showed the extent of the damage caused, with the mid-terraced home appearing to be almost completely destroyed. The North East Ambulance Service sent one ambulance crew, a duty officer and four crews from a Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.

Support from Great North Air Ambulance Service was also requested and engineers from Northern Gas Networks (NGN) were also in scene.