TWO people have died and three people including a child were rushed to hospital after a “suspicious blast” rocked a residential area.
Cops and emergency services scrambled to the scene after an explosion was reported at an address in Sterncourt Road, Bristol, at about 6.30am today.
The cause of the incident is being treated as suspicious and a major incident has been declared, said Avon and Somerset Police.
Cops confirmed that a man and a woman tragically died at the address on Sterncourt Road and their next of kin have been updated.
A man, a woman and a child were also taken to hospital to treat minor injuries, according to police.
A cordon remains in place at the scene in Frenchay while emergency services respond to the incident.
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Cops are also probing another home in Speedwell, Bristol, linked to the man that died.
Shortly before the explosion, cops said officers had received a call to attend a “domestic-related incident”.
The force said they were not looking for anyone in connection with the incident although the investigation was at an early stage.
Emergency services were following well-rehearsed plans in response to this incident, said cops.
Officers are advising people to stay away from the area and residents have been moved to an emergency “temporary rest centre” in the nearby Snuff Mill Harvester pub and restaurant
One resident, who asked not to be named, told BristolLive how he heard a loud “bang” at about 6.30am.
The man said he had left his home but was told to “get inside” by armed police.
He claimed neighbours had seen smoke billowing from one of the houses.
The man told the outlet that he and other locals were later told to leave their homes and go to a nearby pub as further emergency services arrived at the scene.
Police will patrol the streets to reassure residents following the explosion, the force said.
Avon and Somerset Police added: “The cordon has been put in place as a precaution to help keep the public safe.
“People living within that cordon are therefore being evacuated to a temporary rest centre.”
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, Superintendent Matt Ebbs said: “A cordon was put in place to protect the public and to allow inquiries to be carried out at the scene.
“This included specialist searches carried out by the British Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal, as a precaution.
“People living within the cordon were evacuated to a temporary rest centre, and we want to thank them for their ongoing cooperation and understanding.
“We fully recognise how disruptive this has been for them, and to manage expectations, we think the cordon will remain in place until at least the evening, and we’ll continue to provide updates where we can.
“Public safety will always be our priority and we’ll reduce the cordon as soon as it’s safe for people to return to their homes.”
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that it was not being treated as a “suspected terrorist incident” despite the recent change to the UK threat level.
Officials announced the threat has been elevated from “substantial” to “severe” earlier this week.
The UK’s terror threat level going up means it is “highly likely” there could be an attack on British soil.
Avon and Somerset Police added: “We ask people not to speculate around the circumstances and continue to encourage the public to avoid the area while emergency services respond to this incident.”
Threat levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack, ranging from “low” to “critical”.
