Man dies in gas blast

Man dies in gas blast

An elderly man died in a suspected gas explosion last night which also left two women injured and destroyed three houses.

Firefighters were searching the wrecked houses in a road in Loughton, Essex, for other casualties.

Essex Ambulance Service said the man who died had been taken to Harlow Hospital. A 51-year-old woman was taken to Whipps Cross with a minor head injury and another woman, aged 38, was also taken to the hospital suffering from shock and minor cuts. Residents from up to 30 nearby houses were moved after their windows were blown out by the blast.