Man seriously injured following early hours home explosion in County Durham

A man has sustained serious injuries after a house explosion in County Durham.

Emergency services descended on Coronation Terrace in Willington in the early hours of Monday 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 remained at the scene at around 9am as crews worked in the area. The man who sustained injuries was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

• Read more: County Durham house explosion LIVE: Street cordoned off after home destroyed

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A statement from Durham Constabulary said: "Officers responded to reports of a house explosion at around 1.30am today (June 24) in Coronation Terrace, Willington. A man sustained serious injuries during the incident and has been taken to hospital by paramedics for treatment.

"A cordon has been put in place around the property while emergency services work at the scene. Nearby residents have been evacuated as a precaution and people are advised to avoid the area."

Footage and pictures from the scene 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. An investigation into the cause of the incident will take place.

Chris Williams, Group Manager at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) said: “Our crews remain at the scene of an explosion in Willington, Crook. At 1.28am we received a call reporting an explosion at a residential property on Coronation Terrace in Willington.

“The first crew were at the scene within minutes, with crews deployed from Durham, Bishop Auckland and Crook, along with the Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) from Durham. Firefighters assisted in the rescue of one man, who was attended to at the scene by police officers and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), before being taken to hospital.
“Nobody else has been reported to be injured.

“Some residents in the immediate vicinity were evacuated as a precaution. Our crews will remain in the area today alongside colleagues from Durham Constabulary, Durham County Council and Northern Gas Networks to assess the site and ensure it is structurally safe."

He added: "We know this will be concerning for local residents and if you live in the area please listen to the advice and instruction of the emergency services. An investigation will take place into the incident in due course.”