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Halifax explosion – Victim jumped from window as house blew up ‘like an earthquake’ and elderly woman carried from ruins
A DESPERATE victim jumped out of the window to escape after a massive explosion ripped through a home in West Yorkshire, terrified locals have revealed today.
An elderly woman also had to be carried out of the fireball home after the blast destroyed the home in seconds in Illingworth this morning.
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Locals today recounted how the force of the blast was so strong they thought it was an earthquake as their windows rattled - with the occupants of the home left desperately trying to escape.
Neighbour Candice Nevison, 37, said she saw someone jump out of the window of the house that was engulfed in flames.
And she watched in horror as another person ran from the burning building before an elderly woman was carried from the destroyed home over a man's shoulder.
Speaking from her home near the scene, the mum said: "It sounded like there was a massive bang and it felt like something had fallen on my head.
"The impact was just so extreme I thought my own house was collapsing."
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She added: "I looked out and there was a massive fire.
"I saw people running out the house at around 7.45am. I saw one person jump out the window while another person carried an old lady over her shoulder.
"You just don't expect anything like this to happen."I've never seen or heard anything like it before."
She said she had been terrified because her mum lives on the same street - one of the six homes to be evacuated.
Aerial photographs of the scene shows that one of the homes appears to have been completely destroyed in the blast as neighbours it "disappeared" in just seconds.
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Three people who narrowly escaped the terrifying explosion by "a matter of seconds" were today named locally.
Liam and Gwen McCloughlin, both in their fifties, and son Jack, who is in his twenties, are recovering in hospital, according to neighbours who have known the family for 15 years.
Tony McElroy, who lives across the road, said he was awoken in the early hours by a loud thud, and opened his curtains to see debris flying at his window.
He said it was "a matter of seconds" before the entire house had collapsed while still engulfed in flames.
Thankfully, the three members of the McCloughlin family had already got out.
'IT WAS TERRIFYING'
Retired engineer Tony, 73, said: "I've known them 15 years, thankfully they were out of the house when it all collapsed.
"It was terrifying. I heard a loud bang and thud and when I opened the curtains I had debris flying at me.
"It all collapsed so fast it was a matter of seconds."
Photographs of the aftermath show rubble strewn across the street, with smoke billowing into the air.
And another neighbour described the massive blast as ";surreal".
He was told that three people in the property were taken to hospital with burns.
Colin Stone, 56, said: "I just got out because I thought my house had exploded.
"The whole street thought so - it was surreal.
"We were told by fire marshals that they got taken to hospital with burns, I hope they're okay."
Locals today said the force of the blast was so strong they thought it was an earthquake.
'THE HOUSE DISAPPEARED'
Michael Dunn lives about 3.5miles from the scene in Denholm and said it had been felt in the small village.
He said: "Just had a call from my mother in Bradshaw, she heard a huge bang like an explosion upstairs so called up to see if everything was okay.
"There were emergency services everywhere, and a five minute walk away this house had disappeared, it was heard and felt in Denholm."
One local wrote on social media: "I thought it was an earthquake. Dogs were going mental."
Another added: "We heard the bang and our windows all shook."
A third said: "Never head such BANG it shook the promenade at Ogden."
It is not yet clear what sparked the explosion.
Locals have already banded together, suggesting a fundraiser for the people involved after the explosion unfolded just three weeks before Christmas.
Authorities confirmed no one else was missing at this time.
Fire crews are now working at the scene with West Yorkshire Police and utility services.
Firefighters are having to put out pockets of fire.
The incident affected one building and six surrounding houses have been evacuated as a safety precaution.
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West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted today: Crews are currently dealing with an incident at Green Ln, Illingworth
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"They're working with @WestYorksPolice @YorksAmbulance @Calderdale & utility companies to deal with an explosion at a house 3 people have been treated & transported to hospital.
"All other persons accounted for."
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