Friends shocked by blast deaths

Friends were shocked by news of the deaths

Friends and neighbours of two women who died when an explosion tore through a taxi office have spoken of their shock at the tragedy.

The women died when the blast ripped through the building in Immingham, North East Lincs on Monday.

A man who was seriously injured in the incident on Pelham Road was taken to Grimsby Hospital for treatment.

Hayley Dobbs, a friend of one of the dead women, said the incident was "absolutely dreadful".

The injured man and one of the women are understood to have been a husband and wife.

Their semi-detached house, which is about a mile from the scene of the blaze, was empty on Monday afternoon. The Christmas lights in the windows were turned off.

Neighbours said the couple had lived in the house for about five years and had children.

'Brilliant people'

Ms Dobbs, 39, said: "They've been friends of my family for a quite a while.

"They were absolutely brilliant people to speak to.

"If you wanted anything doing they'd go to the ends of the earth to do it.

"At this time of the year you don't dream of losing your mum never mind your dad being in hospital."

This is a particularly harrowing thing to happen at this time of year Fire service spokesman Glenn Ramsden

At the scene on Pelham Road, fire investigators and police forensic teams combed the area outside the burnt-out taxi office.

The small office was completely destroyed in the explosion and fire, with both windows and the door blown out.

The business was at the back of a small four-pump garage forecourt, which had glass from the broken windows strewn across it.

Humberside Fire Service spokesman Glenn Ramsden said the injured man was taken to Grimsby Hospital with serious burns along one side of his body.

"This is a particularly harrowing thing to happen at this time of year," Mr Ramsden said.

"We have no reason to suspect foul play and we think it is just a terrible accident which may have involved petrol.

"What we do know is that an explosion took place in the office."

Mr Ramsden described the fire as "tragic" but said the location of the office near a petrol station meant the outcome of the incident could have been much worse.