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Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Zac Sherratt

Newcastle 'explosion' sparks huge emergency service response leaving homes without power

A suspected explosion has seen a huge hole blown out the side of an industrial unit which left almost 150 Newcastle homes without power.

A huge emergency service response descended on the commercial premises off Shields Road, in Byker, at around 11.30pm on Saturday night.

Residents reported there had been an "explosion" at the unit, which now has a gaping hole in the wall with rubble strewn across the ground.

Read more: Man, 43, dies after blaze tears through Wallsend home leaving smoke 'billowing' into street

Dramatic pictures show a cordon in place around the building with firefighters investigating at the scene.

The incident caused around 146 households to lose electricity, with Northern Powergrid warning residents that their power would be reinstalled at around 6am on Sunday morning.

A cordon was set up as emergency services worked at the scene (chroniclelive)

A message to a nearby resident, seen by ChronicleLive, reads: "We had to urgently switch off power to your property and 145 other customers in the NE6 postcode whilst our specialist engineers carry out emergency repairs to the network.

"Unfortunately, due to the urgency of the work, we were unable to give you advance notice."

It is now understood that all residents have had their power reinstated.

Emergency services respond to an 'explosion' at a industrial unit off Shields Road in Byker (chroniclelive)

Pictures on Sunday morning show the industrial unit has been fenced off, though emergency services have left the scene.

Bricks and rubble remain strewn across the area with a huge hole in the side of the building.

The nature of the incident remains unknown at this stage.

The aftermath of a suspected explosion at a industrial unit off Shields Road in Byker (Newcastle Chronicle)

Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue have been contacted for comment.

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