6:47pm Friday 3rd September 2010
Worshippers believed to be trapped inside a blazing Hare Krishna temple after an explosion have all been accounted for, the fire and rescue service said.
A third of the building in Leicester was destroyed by the blast, the cause of which has not yet been established.
Firefighters were battling the flames and search and rescue dogs were requested to help find anyone in the rubble, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.
A spokeswoman said: “All persons are accounted for, meaning no-one is trapped inside the rubble.”
Dillon Kidger, who works for a roofing company in the same road as the temple, Thoresby Street, said he rushed outside after hearing a large explosion.
He said: “It was actually that loud that the building shook. I heard banging noises and people screaming, there was a big fire and the building was gone in about five to 10 minutes.
”I saw a few people praying outside and people walking round with cuts to their hands and faces from the shrapnel.
”I don’t think there was anybody trapped inside from what I could tell.”
He said he immediately rang the emergency services and three fire engines were soon on the scene.
He added that he could now see around 10 ambulances and 10 police cars outside the temple.
A number of people were believed to be inside the temple in Thoresby Street at the time of the explosion, just before 2.40pm.
One eyewitness described the shock suffered by those caught up in the incident.
Fatima Khatri told the BBC: “Everyone is really worried. There’s a lady crying outside, there’s a really injured gentleman and people are really shaken.
”It’s really upsetting to see this happen.”
Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to look for worshippers inside the building, which was believed to be unstable, the fire and rescue service spokeswoman said.
Worshipper Guaranga Sundara Das said he was not there at the time but had spoken to a friend at the scene who said he believed there had been no serious injuries.
He told Sky News: “He told me there was an apparent gas leak and an explosion following it, with windows shattered and glass flying out.”
He said the only injuries were believed to be “minor bruises” and he thought there were around 30 people inside at the time who had all since been accounted for.
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