The blast happened just before 11:00 GMT on Nelson Street in Bury, Greater Manchester.An eyewitness said the property had been badly damaged in the explosion, with clouds of smoke filling nearby streets.
Eleven homes were also evacuated, with emergency services planning to work "into the night to get residents back into their properties as soon as possible", a Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said. Staff from the firm were working to "make sure everything associated with gas on site is safe", he added.A 200-metre cordon was put in place, with nearby Gigg Lane in Fishpool also closed between Horne Street and Market Street.Mushtaq Anwar, who lives next door to the affected house, said the explosion sounded "like a bomb blast", and had caused a wall in his property to collapse.
Bury councillor Tamoor Tariq said the "heart-breaking" explosion happened right outside his home and emergency services were "doing all possible to deal with this awful situation."Nelson Street resident Anthony Hamilton said there were "bricks and smoke everywhere", with surrounding homes also damaged.