Explosion rips roof off house in Birmingham

An explosion ripped through a Birmingham property – destroying the roof and leaving the street sealed off.

Crowds of onlookers gathered at the site of the fire yesterday evening in Broad Road, Acocks Green , as 25 firefighters rushed to make the scene safe.

Flames spread from the first floor of the property into the roof space and the gable end of the building was deemed unsafe.

The roof collapsed but no-one was inside at the time. There was also extensive smoke damage.

There were no reports of any injuries but a cordon was placed around the premises.

Hose reel jets and a hydraulic platform were used to tackle the flames.

Fire crews spent much of Sunday night combing through wreckage of the building and damping down any isolated spots still burning after the main blaze had been extinguished.

An investigation into the cause of the blast is underway and crews were due to remain at the site for much of Monday morning.