Four dead in Leicester blast, police see no terror link

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Updated at 02:50 p.m. BJT

Four people were found dead in Leicester explosion on Sunday evening; while four more remain in hospital, one of whom with serious injuries, local police say in a statement.

Emergency services are still at the scene to conduct a search and rescue operation.

Police also advise people to avoid the area as road closures on Hinckley Road are still in place.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

This dramatic picture shows flames erupting from the store on Hinckley Road, Leicester after witnesses told of hearing a "massive explosion." /VCG Photo

Updated at 07:00 a.m. BJT

There was no immediate indication a reported explosion and fire that injured at least six people in the central English city of Leicester was related to terrorism, said local police.

"The incident will be the subject of a joint investigation with the fire service," the local police said on Twitter. "At this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related."

The blast took place on a stretch of road containing commercial and residential properties close to the city center on Sunday evening.

Two of the six who were hospitalized are in critical condition, while the other four are "walking wounded," according to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

A convenience store and a home in the downtown area of the city were also destroyed in the incident.

At around 1900 GMT on Sunday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received calls that a blast was heard in the Hinckley Road and later local police declared it a "major incident."

‍Emergency services are responding to an explosion at Hinckley Road, Leicester. /VCG Photo

Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road in Leicester City have been closed and people were advised to avoid the area. Homes and businesses in the area had been evacuated, and electricity has been cut off for a number of properties.

Six fire engines were sent to the scene, and firefighters continue searching through the debris alongside police and paramedics as the fire is still burning.

It's a few hours since the blast, but the air is still thick with smoke. /VCG Photo‍

Residents living near a row of shops in the Hinkley Road, about 1.6 kilometers from the city center, reported their houses shaking with force from a blast.

Leicester City is located in England's East Midlands region and about 140 kilometers from London.

(With input from Xinhua)

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