Ayr Explosion updates LIVE: Family of four 'seriously injured' in Kincaidston explosion | House destroyed and others seriously damaged | Neighbours evacuated
Keep up-to-date with the latest developments as emergency services continue to assess the situation in Kincaidston, Ayr.
Kincaidston Explosion LIVE: Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Key Events
- Family of four serious injured in explosion
- Surrounding homes evacuated
- Blast heard for miles around
- ‘Too early’ to speculate on cause
Police say family of four seriously injured in blast
Police said a 43-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy are being treated at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
A 47-year-old man is in the city’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital while an 11-year-old boy is in the adjoining Royal Hospital for Children.
Chief Insp Derrick Johnston, area commander for South Ayrshire, said: “This is a complex incident and a number of different agencies are working together to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
“Our thoughts are with the family and everyone in the local community affected by this.”
He added that a joint investigation with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was being carried out to determine the cause of the explosion.
A bird’s eye view of the blast
Two adults and two children in hospital after explosion
Two adults and two children have been taken to hospital after an explosion at a house in Ayr which caused severe damage, with the blast being heard for miles around.
Residents have been evacuated from part of the Kincaidston area following the incident on Monday evening.
Social media users said they heard the explosion from miles away, while pictures shared online showed at least one house badly damaged with debris lying in the street.
Police Scotland said enquiries were continuing into the cause of the explosion.
In a statement, the force said four houses had been affected by the explosion, with “a number of premises evacuated” and two rest centres set up to assist.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Gorse Park at around 7.10pm, police said, adding that local road closures were in place and the public were advised to avoid the area.
“Two adults and two children have been taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock,” the force said.
Euan Bryson, who lives in the adjacent housing estate, tweeted a video showing a fire engine on a smoke-filled street in the aftermath of the explosion.
He said: “Was chaotic. There was personal property and rubble all over the scene.
“The video below doesn’t even do the smoke justice. Could scarcely make out peoples’ faces.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We received a call at 7.16pm to attend an incident at Gorse Park, Ayr, alongside Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“We dispatched a number of resources to the scene, including three specialist operations vehicles, six ambulances and an air ambulance.”
The gas distribution company SGN was helping emergency services.
A spokesman said: “Our engineers are currently assisting the emergency services to ensure the immediate vicinity is made safe in our role as the gas emergency service.”
The fire service said it was working to extinguish a fire at a house.
‘Too early to speculate’ on cause of explosion
The Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) has said it is ‘too early to speculate’ on the cause of the blast.
A spokesperson for the company told The Scotsman: “At around 8pm last night we received a request to assist the emergency services following the reports of a serious explosion in Gorse Park, Ayr.
“We understand four people are being treated at a local hospital and our thoughts are with them and their families.
“Our engineers are continuing to work with the emergency services to ensure the immediate vicinity is made safe in our role as the gas emergency service.
“While it is too early to speculate as to what has happened, we are working closely with the authorities to help discover the cause.”