Neighbor heard ‘powerful bang’ during fatal explosion and fire in Bedford

A neighbor heard a “loud bang” and said the roof “fell in” in an explosion and house fire that killed one person.

A second person was taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries following the incident in Cleat Hill on Saturday morning, Bedfordshire Police said in a social media post.

A neighbor who lives on a nearby property said: “I just heard the bang, I heard a really loud bang.

“I can’t describe it. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

The resident, who was evacuated from her home following the incident, said she initially thought the noise around 7am was caused by something falling on her roof or a car leaving the road.

She went on to say that “the entire roof” of the affected house “came off” in the explosion.

She added: “What was left of the roof caught fire, I didn’t see the flames themselves, when I came out it looked more like smoke.

“They didn’t allow us to get any closer because it wasn’t safe, they told us to go back inside because they didn’t know what was going to happen.

“I left around 8 o’clock last night and the fire department was there throughout the night.”

She added that she was told to call 101 to ask for an update on when it would be safe to return to her home.

Bedfordshire Borough Council has set up an emergency assistance center for people who have been evacuated from their homes, police said.

In a post on Saturday night, police wrote on X: “Investigations are ongoing to identify the cause of the explosion and residents still in their homes should keep their windows open.

“We understand that this incident is of great concern to those living nearby and we would still advise people to avoid the Cleat Hill area whilst work at the site continues.”

The cause of the explosion and fire is still unclear.

According to the Bedford Borough Council website, work was carried out to resolve a gas leak in the area earlier in the year, after which the council said it was still looking for a long-term solution.