Man injured in flats blast

A man was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries and dozens of residents were evacuated following an explosion in a block of flats.

The scene in south Harrow north London after a suspected gas explosion at a block of flats The scene in south Harrow, north London, after a suspected gas explosion at a block of flats

The blast, which occurred in a top-floor flat, is said to have been caused by a gas explosion.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Drinkwater Road, south Harrow, in north London, at 8am. Thirty firefighters and six engines were sent to the scene.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said the injured man, believed to be in his thirties, was treated for burns at the scene and then taken to hospital. He is in a "serious" condition.

Harrow Council confirmed between 30 and 40 people had been evacuated from Annan Court - where the blast happened - to a community centre in Scott Crescent.

Council officers were at the scene liaising with emergency services.

A woman living on Drinkwater Road, where the building collapsed, said she heard a "big explosion" at about 8am.

Behnaaz Shah said: "I was on my way out when I heard the explosion and I came out to have a look. The building opposite looked like it had exploded and there was fire coming out of it."

She said the building's roof had caved in and a section of Drinkwater Road had been cordoned off.

Early reports from the London Fire Brigade suggested there had been "serious structural damage" to the building.

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