Second body found after explosion destroys house in Newcastle

By Henry Moore

A second body has been found after an explosion destroyed a residential building in Newcastle.

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The body, believed to be that of a man in his 30s, was found following an explosion in Newcastle which also killed a seven-year-old boy, Northumbria Police said.

Emergency services were called to the incident in Violet Close, in the Benwell and Elswick area of the city, shortly before 1am on Wednesday.

Supt Darren Adams, from Northumbria Police, said: "Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the two people who have tragically lost their lives.

"Specialist officers are supporting their loved ones and we would urge everyone to respect their privacy at this time."

Six people - five adults and a child - were taken to hospital, with all but one having now been discharged.

A family friend of some of the victims said there had been a "devastating explosion".

Andy Riches, a safety steward at Newcastle United, has set up an online fundraiser in aid of the occupants of one of the homes affected.

He is friends with the grandfather of a couple with two children who live in one of the flats, and said: "They have lost everything."

A spokesman for North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called to an incident in the Elswick area of Newcastle at 12.45am today.

"We dispatched four paramedic crews, four crews from our hazardous area response team (Hart), a doctor, a specialist paramedic, a clinical team leader, a duty officer and a tactical adviser to the scene.

"We treated and conveyed four patients - three adults and one child - to hospital for further treatment."

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service tweeted in the early hours of Wednesday morning: "We currently have several firefighting appliances in attendance at a large-scale incident in Violet Close, Newcastle.

"Please avoid the area and keep doors and windows closed until further notice."

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Lynsey McVay, from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said six flats had been "badly affected, two of which suffered the main brunt of the explosion", according to the Newcastle Chronicle.

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