A major incident has been declared following a suspected gas explosion at a row of houses in Heysham, Lancashire.
Firefighters, police and ambulances were sent to Mallowdale Avenue in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Lancashire Fire, which sent 10 engines to the scene, said firefighters were searching the collapsed property.
It is unclear if anyone has been injured, but nearby residents have been evacuated and a safety cordon put in place, Lancashire Police said.
“We are asking people to please avoid the entire area while we deal with this ongoing incident,” the force said.
Lancashire Fire added: “A major incident has been declared after we [were] called to terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue.
“It has been reported that there has been an explosion at a property and firefighters are searching the collapsed property.”
We are currently dealing with an incident on Mallowdale Avenue, Heysham. We have 10 fire engines in attendance and we are working with partners at the scene.
— Lancashire Fire (@LancashireFRS) May 16, 2021
The North West Ambulance Service tweeted that it had also sent units to the scene, with a priority to “ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible”.
The town is about 25 miles north-east of Blackpool.
Electricity North West, which supplies electricity across the north west of England, said on Twitter that engineers were removing supplies for safety.
The company could not confirm how many properties would be affected, or for how long.