Six injured in apartment block gas blast

Six people have been injured, including one critically, following a gas explosion at a block of flats in Greater Manchester, police said today.

Up to 200 people were evacuated from the apartments in Cavendish Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, last night.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said the explosion affected the ground floor and first floor of the block of 100 flats.

A 60-year-old man was rushed to Tameside Hospital and is being treated for severe burns. His condition is described as serious.