Detectives investigating a massive explosion that killed a child in Oldham are treating the death as suspicious, Greater Manchester Police said.

Two-year-old Jamie Heaton died after what was believed to be a gas blast tore through three houses in Buckley Street reducing them to rubble.

Anthony Partington, who is not related to the toddler, was airlifted to hospital suffering severe burns.

Police said they were aware of rumours about a domestic incident and appealed for information.

Superintendent Neil Evans stressed officers were not called but said: "We are also aware of some rumours within the local community about a potential domestic disturbance in the area last night.

"What I can categorically say is that if that is the case, the police were not called.

"However, if anyone has any information about this, particularly if they think it might be relevant to what happened today, I would urge them to get in touch."

The officer said of the dead child's family: "His loved ones are absolutely distraught and we will provide them with whatever support we can at what is clearly a very difficult and upsetting time.

"This incident has shocked the community of Shaw and I want to reassure them that all emergency services are committed to helping those whose homes are damaged in whatever way we can and to get all others who have been evacuated back home as soon as possible."

Local sources said Mr Partington, 27, was originally from Rochdale. They said he was a qualified joiner but had recently been made redundant.

Emergency workers pulled a third person trapped out of the wreckage late on Tuesday afternoon following a search and rescue operation, while the fire service said another individual unaccounted for had been found safe and well.

oldham explosion

The scene was described as looking like a war zone by residents

Mr Partington was initially described as suffering 80% burns but later the North West Ambulance Service reduced the severity to between 25% and 30%.

Dean Nankivell, station manager at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said although the operation at the scene was still being treated as a search and rescue mission, everyone had been accounted for and no one had been found trapped in the rubble as first thought.

Special equipment and sniffer dogs had scoured the rubble to ensure no one else was trapped.

He said: "The scene down there is catastrophic. Its just a great big pile of bricks. Whatever has caused this has gone with some force.

"This is looking like a gas explosion."

Alex Perkins, who lives on Duchess Street, told the BBC: "It's like a war zone - tiles that have blown off literally across the streets, there's just debris everywhere. It's mad.

"It's just empty, there's nothing there, just bricks on the floor, just rubble."

shaw explosion

One child died in the apparent gas explosion

Mr Nankivell said there were still unstable structures damaged in the blast and the job was to shore up the scene to make it safe enough for fire and police investigators to go in and begin their work.

Gas supplies were turned off to homes in surrounding streets and the emergency operation will gradually be scaled back, he added.

Local authority building control officers will have to be brought in to look at the structural damage to surrounding properties.

oldham

It is possible to see that one house has completely collapsed

shaw explosion

Streets around the explosion scene were closed off as a search and rescue operation took place

A man living half a mile from the site of explosion told the BBC he felt his house shake and his first reaction was that "something had fallen over."

However he said a number of houses in the are had had their windows shattered, and it was soon clear that there had been "some sort of explosion".

A journalist speaking to residents of Shaw, Oldham said they had noticed a strong smell of gas throughout the morning.


Paul Britton.
Residents in Shaw, Oldham, report a strong smell of gas during the morning. National Grid say situation at scene being assessed.

One girl @amberrlaurenx has been tweeting pictures of the destruction on Twitter. She said she has has seen about three air ambulances and that the explosion "felt like an earthquake."


amber
i was revising at home& whole room shook the window,my bed&my wardrobe doors! Was home alone too!i will still get to my exam

Greater Manchester Fire Service said more than 30 firefighters were at the scene carrying out a search of the immediate area.

Those involved included specialist search and rescue teams, with a dog, and colleagues from Lancashire Fire Service.

National Grid said it had received a report of a smell of gas in the Edmund Street and Buckley Street area before the blast happened.

The company said it was testing the gas mains and pipes serving homes in Buckley Street and engineers hope to resume tests on Wednesday morning under the direction of GMP who are treating the site as a crime scene, National Grid said.

Engineers have not been able to enter the five most badly damaged houses and it was not possible to confirm what caused the explosion.

Gas and electricity supplies to the immediate area were disconnected.

Updated: 19:00, 26 June 2012 (Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service information)
Updated: 20:16, 26 June 2012 (burns severity)
Updated: 20:45, 26 Junes 2012 (Police suspicious death information)
Updated: 21:51, 26 JUne 2012 (National Grid comments)

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  • Oldham explosion

    A police officer places flowers inside a cordon close to the scene of a suspected gas blast in Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester, in which two-year-old Jamie Heaton was killed and Anthony Partington, 27, was left with life-threatening burns after three terraced homes were reduced to rubble.

  • Emergency services personnel gather in the Shaw area of Oldham, in north-west England, on June 26, 2012, following a large explosion. There is currently no confirmation on the number of casualties or homes damaged. (Photo credit: AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/GettyImages)

  • Emergency services personnel gather in the Shaw area of Oldham, in north-west England, on June 26, 2012, following a large explosion. There is currently no confirmation on the number of casualties or homes damaged. (Photo credit: AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/GettyImages)

  • Search and rescue teams work at the scene of an explosion in Oldham, Greater Manchester on June 26, 2012 in Shaw, England. A child has died, one person is un-accounted for and one man has suffered eighty percent burns in the explosion which has destroyed two terraced houses. According to reports there was a 'gas escape' at 10:40. (Photo credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

  • A broken window in a house in the Shaw area of Oldham after a suspected gas explosion. (Photo credit: PA)

  • Fireman at the scene of a suspected gas explosion in the Shaw area of Oldham. (Photo credit: PA

  • (Photo courtesy of @amberrlaurenx/Twitter)

  • (Photo courtesy of Stuart Littleford, Saddleworth News.)

  • In this photograph taken by local resident Adam Pollard, rubble is strewn at the scene of an explosion in Oldham on June 26, 2012 in Shaw, England. A child has died, one person is un-accounted for and one man has suffered eighty percent burns in the explosion which has destroyed two terraced houses. According to reports there was a 'gas escape' at 10:40. (Photo by Adam Pollard/Getty Images)

  • Broken tiles and debris rest on roofs at the site of an explosion in Oldham, Greater Manchester on June 26, 2012 in Shaw, England. A child has died, one person is un-accounted for and one man has suffered eighty percent burns in the explosion which has destroyed two terraced houses. According to reports there was a 'gas escape' at 10:40. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped.Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Aerial picture of the scene of the gas explosion which has flattened three houses on Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester (Tuesday 26th June 2012). Police have confirmed that a young child has died and a man has been taken to hospital suffering from significant burns. Efforts are ongoing to establish whether any other people are trapped. Cavendish Press

  • Oldham explosion

    A forensic officer (left) arrives close to the scene of a suspected gas blast in Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester, in which two-year-old Jamie Heaton was killed and Anthony Partington, 27, was left with life-threatening burns after three terraced homes were reduced to rubble.

  • Oldham explosion

    A damaged car sits amongst debris on Oak Street close to the scene of a suspected gas blast in Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester, in which two-year-old Jamie Heaton was killed and Anthony Partington, 27, was left with life-threatening burns after three terraced homes were reduced to rubble.

  • Oldham explosion

    Fireman at the scene of a suspected gas explosion in the Shaw area of Oldham.

  • Oldham explosion

    Flowers inside a cordon close to the scene of a suspected gas blast in Buckley Street in the Shaw area of Oldham, Greater Manchester, in which two-year-old Jamie Heaton was killed and Anthony Partington, 27, was left with life-threatening burns after three terraced homes were reduced to rubble.