Nelson Street house explosion: GoFundMe page set up for residents

Redvales Cllr Tamoor Tariq, has set up a GoFundMe page to help residents whose homes were severely damaged following the explosion, which happened at a property on Nelson Street at around 11am on Wednesday.

A woman in her 70s, named Sheila, was taken to hospital with serious injuries following the blast and residents were evacuated from their homes while emergency services attended.

The council has since confirmed that three houses on the street will be demolished.

Cllr Tariq, who lives just metres from Nelson Street, has asked residents to come together in support of those who have lost their homes and belongings.

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Writing on the fundraising page, he said: “My neighbours were deeply affected by the gas incident which has destroyed three properties through a huge fire.

“The local community is coming together to support the families affected and fundraiser for them.

"We would like to give as many people as possible the chance to contribute via this page.

“Please help spread the word.

“The families affected have lost their homes entirely and remain unclear if they will ever see their belongings again and in what state. Let’s all do what we can.

"This could have happened to any one of us.”

Mushtaq Anwar, 46, who lives at number 106 Nelson Street with his wife and four children, said his home was one of the three set to be demolished.

He said he has "a lot of memories" from the house where he lived for 20 years and has nothing with him but the clothes he is wearing.

Mushtaq Anwar, 46 (Image: Newsquest)

Mushtaq said: “My family and I were inside and we heard a bang and we rushed down stairs.

“Everything was gone, there was fire, huge flames and smoke. We called the ambulance and other people were calling as well.

On Friday, gas network Cadent confirmed its engineers attended the street following a report of a gas smell in the area two days before the incident.

A Cadent spokesperson added: “After the incident on Wednesday, we carried out thorough checks on all neighbouring properties and confirmed the gas pipes feeding them are sound.

“We haven’t ever responded to a report of a smell of gas at the property where the incident happened.”

Cadent added that anyone who believes they can smell gas should call them urgently.

Speaking to the Bury Times on Friday, Cllr Tariq said demolition of the three houses on Nelson Street would be a pain-staking "brick-by-brick" process.

He said: “It will be a very slow process due to the police wanting to retrieve as much of the scene as possible for their criminal investigation.”

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“The first floor will be taken apart today, and the rest will be done on Monday.

Cllr Tariq added that Sheila, who was injured in the blast, had lived in the area for decades.

He said: “I would say she is well known and always smiling and friendly. I understand she’s stable in ICU and we’re hopeful she’ll make a recovery.”

It is understood the council is going to use emergency powers to help start the process of rebuilding the homes on the site.

Cllr Tariq said he will be lobbying the council to lobby the insurance companies to rebuild the homes, which is the preferred option for the residents.