Oxford explosion: One person remains missing after pregnant woman hurt in huge blast at flats
One person remains remains unaccounted for after an explosion and fire at a block of flats that left a pregnant woman among two people injured.
The blast ripped through the building in Oxford, causing it to collapse, on Tuesday afternoon and the cause remains unknown.
Oxfordshire County Council said around 40 firefighters joined the rescue operation, with the help of urban search and rescue teams from Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
Police confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that one person remained missing. Two people were treated for minor injuries, including a pregnant woman who was taken to hospital at around 5pm.
The blast destroyed the three-storey block, owned by housing association A2Dominion, and caused several nearby boats in the marina to also catch fire.
Several surrounding properties were evacuated as a safety precaution and residents were being assisted with accommodation locally by the council.
A fireball could be seen coming from the remains of the flats as huge flames and plumes of smoke were caught on camera.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed two people suffered minor injuries.
A pregnant woman was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with minor injuries, while a man was treated at the scene, also for minor injuries.
An ambulance spokesman had earlier said it was a gas mains explosion.
But a statement released by SGN, a gas distribution network company for the Oxford area, said: "Following reports of an explosion in the Osney Lane and Gibbs Crescent area of Oxford, our engineers joined the emergency services on site this evening.
"While it's too early to speculate as to what has happened, we have confirmed there is no mains gas supply to the property affected."
Witness Alexander Hammonds, 43, who lives nearby, took dramatic pictures of the aftermath of the explosion.
He said: "I was in my living room when I heard a massive double bang. Personally I thought a lorry had overturned, so I looked out the window and saw massive plumes of smoke.
"I walked over the footbridge and from there I could see the flames from above the trees.
"I just started using my camera, I got stupidly close. I just went in, got as many photos as I could then left because I could hear all the sirens.
"I could smell all the furniture burning. I saw the tarpaulin of a boat on fire.
"There were a lot of sounds coming from the fire which was making me really nervous because it was an explosion and I didn't want to be around if there was another one."
