Newcastle explosion: Neighbours crying in the street as true devastation of blast unveiled

Shocking pictures capture the full extent of caused by an on a city street today.

in Benwell, Newcastle, and emergency workers have had to frantically clamber over debris to rescue people. A child and three adults .

The images, taken using a drone, show severe destruction following the blast. Debris is strewn across the residential street and in front of neighbouring properties in the area next to the River Tyne.

Locals spoke of waking up to a loud bang in the early hours of the morning and seeing people crying in the street. One woman said: "Me and my husband woke up to a big bang. It was really loud. My husband is a heavy sleeper, and he woke up straight away.

"We saw people outside. It was about 12.45am. I have heard two properties have been affected. I heard from a police officer they still don't know what caused it. There were about ten fire engines one after another. It's a shocking thing to have happened."

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Another Benwell resident added: "There was an explosion about one-ish and then there was a massive fire. We could see it from the top floor. I woke up hearing people outside the house.

"There were people crying in the street. It was really sad. There have been a lot of ambulances. It was a massive blast. I am assuming they have been evacuated to a community centre. They were outside for a long time."

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."

A spokesman said: "Shortly before 12.45am today (Wednesday), police were contacted by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, who are dealing with a fire at an address in the Violet Close area of Newcastle.

"Emergency services remain in attendance at the scene. Road closures are in place on Buddle Road and the surrounding area, and motorists and residents are advised to avoid the area and to keep doors and windows closed if they see and smell smoke."

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service tweeted in the early hours of the 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."