Man playing Call of Duty interrupted as neighbour's house explodes

A man said his game of Call of Duty turned into "real life" when a neighbouring house suddenly blew up. At around 12.43pm today (Thursday November 28), a two-storey property on Benedict Street, Bootle exploded, leaving residents who heard the "loud bang" wondering if a "lorry had dropped from the sky".

When fire crews arrived, they found the terraced house on fire. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and rescued two people, who were conscious and breathing. Another two people were already out of the property. Three of them were taken to hospital.

A section of Benedict Street was cordoned off for several hours off as Cadent and Merseyside Fire and Rescue investigated the scene. Smashed glass and debris could be seen littering the road as shocked neighbours watched on. One man, who lives only a few doors down from the explosion, said: "I was playing the new Call of Duty when it became real life. I thought a wardrobe had dropped, heard a commotion and looked outside. It was hard not to hear.”

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Another man added that the sound of the explosion was "prolonged" and "lingered". A woman said she saw "a load of people run out of the property", while one man said he “thought a lorry had dropped from the sky” before hearing “screams” outside. He added that it was "lucky" that most children were in school.

A "big bang" was heard by one woman just after 12.30pm. She told the ECHO: "I heard a bang but I thought it was work fellas in the street. Then I checked my Ring Doorbell and saw a fire engine going down the street.

"I went outside and saw a load of people walking past so I headed down the street and saw that the front of a house had been blown off. It was shocking.

She said emergency services were on the scene very quickly, adding: "One ambulance arrived, then more came along. It looks like someone was taken to hospital."

A statement from Merseyside Fire and Rescue said: "Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is in attendance at an incident on Benedict Street, Bootle.

"Crews were alerted at 12.43 to reports of an explosion and they arrived on scene at 12.49. Three fire engines are currently on scene.

"Crews arrived to find a two-storey property with the ground floor involved in fire. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and rescued two people, who were conscious and breathing. Another two people were already out of the property.

"Gas and electrics have been isolated and the fire has been extinguished. The four people involved were handed over to North West Ambulance Service to be checked over and three of them have been conveyed to hospital. Cadent engineers are on scene carrying out tests in the involved property and neighbouring properties."