Nocturnal 
A man has died after an explosion tore through a residential street in Rotherham, with people reporting they heard the “massive bang” from miles away.
Emergency services were called to Clifton Mount, a row of terraced homes, on Tuesday afternoon. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were alerted at 13:18 BST, with South Yorkshire Police confirming officers attended after being alerted by the fire service.
A man was “sadly found deceased” at the scene, police said. His identity has not been released.
What happened on Clifton Mount
Three fire engines from Rotherham and Tankersley fire stations attended, and crews worked alongside police and other agencies to make the area safe, as first reported by the BBC.
Clifton Mount was cordoned off while emergency services worked, but has since reopened to the public after police said initial enquiries indicated there was no risk to the wider community.
Gas distributor Cadent Gas confirmed it sent engineers to the scene but said the blast was “not an issue related to our gas network”. In a statement, a Cadent Gas spokesperson said: “First and foremost, our thoughts go out to the loved ones of the individual who has lost their life in tragic circumstances. Cadent’s role on site has been to support the emergency services as best we possibly can, and we will continue to do that.”
The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed and remains under investigation.
Residents describe the moment
Local resident Craig Cockram, who lives in a block of flats on Clifton Mount, said he heard a bang “as if there was a shooting”. He told the BBC that police knocked on his door around 30 minutes later to tell him they were evacuating people from his three-storey block.
“I’m just shocked, bemused,” he said. “I can’t believe what’s happened.”
Other locals reported hearing the noise from far beyond the immediate area. One person told the Daily Express they were walking through Clifton Park at the time and it “sounded like a bomb had gone off”, while another said they heard the bang from more than a kilometre away, near a McDonald’s in Rotherham. Police reportedly had a strong presence at the scene, including a Tactical Support Group van, according to the Express.
Where things stand now
South Yorkshire Police say they are continuing to work with the fire service to establish exactly what caused the explosion. Cadent Gas has ruled out its own network as a cause, but no official explanation has yet been given.
Clifton Mount has reopened and police say there is currently no danger to the wider public. Nocturnal News will update this story as more information becomes available.
