10 fire crews were called to the scene
Two houses collapsed and a third suffered serious damage in the blast which happened around 2:40am in Mallowdale Avenue.
10 fire crews, six ambulances and four doctors were called to the scene, which one emergency worker described as devastating.
Police evacuated houses in the vicinity of the explosion and cordoned off the scene.
A fleet of ambulances ferried casualties, many with severe burns, to hospital.
Casualties, believed to be suffering from serious burns, were taken to hospital in a fleet of ambulances.
A police spokesperson said: We were called at 2.40am this morning (Sunday May 16th) to reports that a number of houses on the road had collapsed.
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A major incident has been declared following a suspected gas explosion at a row of houses in Heysham, Lancashire.
Firefighters, police and ambulances were sent to Mallowdale Avenue in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Lancashire Fire, which sent 10 engines to the scene, said firefighters were searching the collapsed property.
It is unclear if anyone has been injured, but nearby residents have been evacuated and a safety cordon put in place, Lancashire Police said. We are asking people to please avoid the entire area while we deal with this ongoing incident, the force said.
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A child has died and four people have been injured after a suspected gas explosion in Lancashire last night completely destroyed two terraced houses and badly damaged a third.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said 10 units were called to a row of homes on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham at around 2.30am on Sunday and that a major incident has been declared.
Firefighters are searching the collapsed property while police said a safety cordon had been put in place and nearby residents have been evacuated in the town some 25 miles north-east of Blackpool.
Several residents had tweeted that up to three houses had collapsed and that emergency services sirens had been heard near the scene of the explosion for a prolonged time.