A house was destroyed in an explosion that sparked a fire, leaving a woman in her 70s seriously injured and needing hospital treatment.
A nearby primary school in Greater Manchester was evacuated after the suspected gas explosion.
Children and staff at St Luke’s Church of England Primary School in Fishpool in Bury left the school after the blast, which was just yards away, according to Bury Council’s deputy leader, Tamoor Tariq.
Terraced homes on either side of the wrecked house were also damaged, and neighbours were forced to flee, taking shelter with families or friends elsewhere.
“I understand everyone has been taken into a place of safety and emergency services are doing all possible to deal with this awful situation,” Mr Tariq wrote on social media.
He added: “The house directly affected is in an extremely bad state following the explosion [and] the house was destroyed by the strong flames from the fire.”