A seven-year-old boy has died and six people have been taken to hospital following an explosion which destroyed three houses.
Emergency crews were called to Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, at about 00:45 BST.
Police, who have now enforced a no-fly zone in the area, said the boy’s death was “truly devastating”.
Eyewitnesses described a “very loud bang” and a “bright flash”, with some residents then told to leave their homes and go to a rest centre run by Red Cross volunteers.
