Man and woman killed and three injured in house explosion after ‘domestic incident’
Detectives are searching another property in the Speedwell area of Bristol linked to the man who died.
A man and a woman have died, and three people including a child were taken to hospital, following a “suspicious” house explosion in Bristol on Sunday morning.
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Police were called to the property in Sterncourt Road to reports of a domestic incident about 15 minutes before the explosion.
Superintendent Matt Ebbs told reporters: “Officers were sent to the scene but shortly before they arrived, at just after 6.30am, there was an explosion inside the property."
A woman and a man died at the address, while three people, a man, a woman and a child, were taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Officers say the families of the deceased man and woman have been informed and that they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
They are also not treating it as a suspected terrorist event.
Residents living within an area cordoned off by police are being evacuated to a temporary rest centre.
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Officers are also carrying out enquiries at a property in Speedwell which police say is linked to the Sterncourt Road explosion.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "A cordon remains in place while emergency services respond to an incident in Bristol.
"An explosion was reported at a residential address in Sterncourt Road at about 6.30am today (Sunday 3 May).
"The cause of the incident is being treated as suspicious, and a major incident has been declared. Two adults have died at the address and their families have been updated."
The College of Policing defines a major incident as “an event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agencies".
The police statement added: "Emergency services are following well-rehearsed plans in response to this incident. Our enquiries are at an early stage, but at this point we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.
"The cordon has been put in place as a precaution to help keep the public safe. People living within that cordon are therefore being evacuated to a temporary rest centre.
"There is not believed to be any significant damage to other properties. Officers are also carrying out enquiries at a property in Speedwell linked to this incident.
"Given the recent change to the UK threat level, we would like to reassure the public from the outset we are not treating this as a suspected terrorist incident.
"We ask people not to speculate around the circumstances and continue to encourage the public to avoid the area while emergency services respond to this incident."