Flats destroyed after huge blast

About 30 firefighters tackled the blaze

A block of flats has been largely destroyed in a huge blaze after an explosion on the first floor of the property in Chester.

More than 30 firefighters tackled the fire at the two-storey building in Wharton Court, on Hoole Lane.

All 16 flats have been evacuated. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was "unbelievable" nobody had been injured in the blaze.

Nearly all the building was damaged and the roof and side wall were destroyed.

The explosion which caused the fire is thought to have happened at 0050 BST.

I heard a bang...I opened the curtains to see a huge fireball Simon Brennan, resident of nearby property

Firefighter Alex Waller said: "The velocity of the blast has taken off the whole side of the building."

Debris from the explosion was scattered on to nearby properties.

Cheshire Police and fire investigators are working to establish how the incident happened.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "The top floor flat has virtually disappeared. The rest of the building is very unstable."

The flats were evacuated but the fire service has yet to make contact with a man who lived in the first floor property, where the blast occurred.

"We have no casualties at the moment but one man's car is missing, so we need to establish where he is before we do a final count," added the spokesman.

The remaining residents have been found alternative accommodation or are staying with relatives.

Structural engineers from Chester and West Cheshire Council are at the scene assessing the safety of the building.

One resident of the flats is yet to be accounted for, fire officials said

Simon Brennan who lives in nearby flats said: "I heard a bang and couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the curtains to see a huge fireball.

"The window frames from the flats were blown out and underneath cars 30 metres away - nobody inside would have survived.

"I then dashed outside to try and help but the debris was flying in every direction."

Another neighbour described the explosion as an "earth shattering bang".

Hoole Lane is closed from its junction with Wharton Court and the A51 at Boughton.