A man has been seriously inured in a blast involving gunpowder after opening a safe containing gunpowder with an angle grinder.
The incident happened on Park Road in Billinge, Wigan around 2.37pm on Wednesday afternoon (February 21) prompting a massive response from emergency services including fire crews, paramedics and police, reports reveal. Greater Manchester Police disclosed the man in his 80s was injured upon opening a domestic item.
An air ambulance was called to the scene, and the man was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries to his leg. Police confirmed the explosion was triggered by the ignition of a flammable substance.
It was later confirmed there was no danger to the local community as the situation was brought under control.
A nearby resident who heard the incident said: It made quite a bang. We just didn’t know what happened to start with.
Some of the other neighbors were up there, and we were concerned that something had happened. My first thought was it was an explosion.
A large area was cordoned off as fire crews, police, and paramedics rushed to the scene. The road was blocked off for several hours while investigations took place before the area was declared safe.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police revealed: This afternoon (Wednesday 21 February 2024), at around 3 pm, officers were called to reports of an explosion inside a property on Park Road in Billinge. Emergency services attended the scene, and a man in his 80s has been taken to the hospital with serious leg injuries.
Enquiries suggest that the explosion was caused by the ignition of a flammable substance and there is no wider threat to the community. The scene has now been made safe by emergency services, and no neighboring properties were evacuated during the incident.
The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) confirmed rapid response vehicles, an ambulance, and air ambulance were dispatched to the scene of the incident.
