A heroic roofer put his own safety to one side and ran towards a destroyed Middlesbrough home after a horrific explosion.
Emergency services converged on Kirkland Walk, in the Park End area of the town, on Tuesday afternoon after a sudden explosion tore through a semi-detached house.
Pictures from the scene have revealed the devastating aftermath of the incident, which sent plumes of debris flying into the sky and ripped tiles from nearby roofs.
Kayfee Hameed, from Berwick Hills area of Middlesbrough, was one of the first on the scene and ran towards the building after hearing a cry for help coming from inside.
The 48-year-old said: "I was driving to go to work and everybody was running so I parked the van up and I saw the fire in the house - so I ran."
Mr Hameed ignored the calls from people outside saying not to go in after he heard the frantic cries of someone shouting for help inside.
He continued: "So I ran inside and put the man on my shoulder and took him out. There was only him in the house. I checked inside the house and next door - I ran inside the next-door house and went upstairs and checked everywhere. It was smoky and it was scary."
Mr Hameed wasn't the only resident who rushed to help out following the blast.
Nicola Hill, 46, and her daughter Rebekah Ashcroft, 20, who live four doors down from the property, explained how they helped care for the man before 999 crews arrived.
Describing how the "whole house shook” following the explosion, Nicola said: "You heard the bang. Every window and door in the house shook.”
Nicola then ran out to the green to try and help: “I got wet towels and put them over him when he was out on the green. My daughter Rebekah called 999.”
Rebekah added: “The only way I can describe it is like something out of a war film. It feels like a movie in slow motion it didn’t feel real looking at it and seeing it.”
Cleveland Police has since confirmed that twelve houses were affected by the blast, prompting the evacuation of residents on Kirkland Walk and nearby Errington Avenue.
A 57-year-old man has been taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle with serious burn injuries - where his condition remains currently unknown.
'The whole house shook'
Several stunned residents spoke to The Northern Echo at the side of the blue and white police tape as they watched fire crews water down the scene of the explosion, wondering just how long it would be before they’d be allowed back inside their own homes.
Great-grandmother-of-two Susan Smith, 73, recalled how she heard a “big bang” and then saw “all of the slates coming down” from the roof.
She said: “It was a shock. The whole house shook. I didn’t have a clue what it was.”
Nearby resident Lynn Brown, 58, said the explosion shook her home "like an earthquake" as she recalled the moment she felt the blast.
The grandma-of-six, one of whom is a pupil at the nearby Park End Primary School, which was also evacuated, said: “The house shook and we flew outside to see what it happened.
"Do you know when there is like an earthquake? We saw all the debris flying over - all of the insulation that you get in the roof was in the sky.”
Her grandson, 10-year-old year six student Rocco Shildrick, added: “I was eating chocolate cake and the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate.”
Great-grandma Dorothy Harris said that she had "never seen anything like that.”
The 61-year-old - who has lived on the estate for 31 years - told The Echo: “It was horrendous. I was at the family shopper and the explosion hit me first.
"Then when I looked up it was all the debris in the air. I phoned the police, ambulance, and fire brigade. I was in a right state - I was still shaking 15 minutes later.”
'No wider threat to public safety'
A huge emergency response descended on the Park End estate around 12pm after reports of the incident surfaced.
This included several vehicles from the North East Ambulance Service, an air ambulance, numerous police vehicles, sniffer dogs, and teams from Northern Gas Networks.
A full statement from Cleveland Police said: “Emergency services remain at the scene of a house explosion in Kirkland Walk, Middlesbrough.
“A 57-year-old man has been taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle with serious burn injuries.Twelve houses have been affected by the explosion, and houses in Kirkland Walk and nearby Errington Avenue have been evacuated.
“Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade, North East Ambulance Service and Northern Powergrid are currently working together at the scene, to make it safe.
“Whilst there is currently no wider threat to public safety, members of the public should avoid the area. Overdale Road is currently closed between Ettington Avenue and Gilmonby Road. There is no access to Frampton Green from Ettington Avenue.
“Anyone concerned about housing needs or support can visit Park End Primary School which has now been opened as a reception centre for residents. We thank local residents for their patience as we continue to deal with this incident.”
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A NEAS spokesperson previously said, "We received a call to 999 at 12.42 this afternoon to reports of a house explosion on Kirkland Walk, Middlesbrough.
"We sent a duty officer, a clinical team leader, two emergency ambulance crews, a rapid response paramedic, a doctor, four Hazardous Area Response Teams and the air ambulance.
"One patient has been transported to the RVI by air with severe burns."
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