Residents evacuated after Antrim gas blast

Up to 100 people have been forced to leave their homes following a gas explosion.

Residents were evacuated for four hours last night as emergency services dealt with the incident on Station Road, Greenisland, Co Antrim.

Firefighters and police were called after the explosion at around 10pm.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Group Commander William Kavanagh said flames from the Phoenix Natural Gas leak reached 30ft.

“It was quite spectacular. It was not a difficult incident but the potential for danger was there,” he said.

“Thankfully nobody was hurt and there was no damage to property, it was simply a case of turning off the gas.”

He said the company was investigating how the incident happened.

Mr Kavanagh said half the affected homeowners were housed in a local church while firefighters dealt with the incident.

On Thursday up to 600 houses in the Coleraine area had to be evacuated due to smoke from the fire at a medical equipment plant.

Much of the plant in Wattstown Business Park will have to be demolished.