Two persons have died while several residents were evacuated after a powerful explosion rocked a residential community in Bristol on Sunday, prompting authorities to declare a major incident and launch a full-scale investigation.
Under UK emergency response guidelines, a major incident is declared when an event results in serious consequences requiring coordinated action from multiple emergency agencies.
According to Avon and Somerset Police, emergency services were called to a residence on Sterncourt Road in the Frenchay area at about 6:30 a.m. BST following reports of a loud explosion.
The force confirmed that two persons died in the incident, which is currently being treated as suspicious. However, police stressed that the blast is not being investigated as a terrorist-related attack despite recent changes to the UK threat level.
In a statement, the police urged members of the public to avoid speculation while investigations remain at an early stage.
“We ask people not to speculate around the circumstances and continue to encourage the public to avoid the area while emergency services respond”, the statement said.
Authorities added that officers were not currently searching for any other suspects in connection with the incident.
The explosion triggered a massive emergency response, with armed police, bomb disposal experts, firefighters and medical teams deployed to the scene. A security cordon was immediately established while nearby residents were evacuated from their homes as a precautionary measure.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic following the blast.
A resident, Bradley Shepherd, said he was awakened by what he described as a “large explosion noise” before emergency vehicles flooded the area within minutes. He said police later instructed residents, many of whom were elderly, to leave their homes for safety reasons.
Displaced residents were initially sheltered at a nearby Harvester restaurant before being relocated to the Begbrook Social Club later in the day. The restaurant subsequently confirmed it had resumed normal operations after assisting members of the affected community.
Police said there was no indication of widespread structural damage to neighbouring properties, though specialist teams continued detailed examinations of the affected residence.
Investigators are also carrying out inquiries at a separate property in the Speedwell area linked to the explosion.