Pensioners hurt in house gas blast in Scotland

Two pensioners have been taken to hospital following an explosion which totally demolished a house.

Emergency services were called to the incident at Murdiston Avenue in Callander, near Stirling, at around 6am.

Central Scotland police said a 74-year-old woman was taken to Forth Valley Royal Infirmary and a 77-year-old man was taken to the Southern General in Glasgow. Their conditions are not known.

Nine houses in Murdiston Avenue and nearby Aveland Road have been evacuated. Stirling Council has set up a rest centre in the town.

Chief Inspector Russell Penman said: “The house has been totally demolished as a result of the explosion.

“We are treating this as a suspected gas leak and inquiries are at a very early stage to establish the cause. Scotland Gas Networks are in attendance and working with us.”