'Our front door blew in and people were screaming'

A couple has spoken of the terrifying moment their neighbours' house blew up in a suspected gas explosion.

Two women and a man are in hospital with serious injuries following the blast on Hugh Street in Whitehaven, Cumbria, on New Year's Eve.

Roxanne Stephenson said the sound was "nothing like I've ever heard before and the front door blew in".

She and her husband Matthew were displaced due to the explosion and are waiting to hear if their home suffered any structural damage.

Mrs Stephenson was in the house alone when the explosion happened at about 16:25 GMT.

She said: "There were people in the street screaming and shouting, there was debris everywhere, rubble everywhere, we could see that the contents of people's homes were now on top of people's cars and on the road.

"We could see that two houses had lost their roofs - it was absolute mayhem."

Mr Stephenson told BBC Radio Cumbria he had left the house with their daughter minutes before the blast.

He said that although their house "didn't look too bad" from outside, they were unsure of the extent of the damage.

"I believe they are digging the road now to look at all the structural damage to see if the houses are still viable or not," he said.

"It's a tough one, but I think where we're looking at it from, it could have been far worse.

"You can replace a home but with people injured, we just wish them all the best and hopefully they get better soon - we are just feel very grateful."

Cumbria Police had initially said that two men and a woman were injured in the blast.

However, the force has now clarified those injured were a man and a woman in their 70s and a woman in her 50s.

Those in hospital are "critical but stable".

Mr and Mrs Stephenson had to leave their dogs behind when they were evacuated and they are being cared for in kennels while Cumberland Council tries to find them suitable accommodation.

A number of animals were rescued and Cumbria Police said anyone missing their pets should contact them.

The couple has set up a fundraising page to help residents affected, which has already raised more than £6,000.

Mrs Stephenson said when they eventually talked after the blast, the "enormity" of it hit them.

She said: "We realised there and then that the damage was going to be extensive and that there were going to be so many people affected in different ways.

"In that time, if there was anything we could do to alleviate even 1% of the stress that these people were under, then it just felt morally right to do it for them."

The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.

Cumberland Council said it was providing support to affected residents and held a face-to-face meeting with them on Thursday morning.

It said it was also working with emergency services and utility companies to make the area safe, but until then it would remain cordoned off.

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].