New pictures have emerged showing flames pouring from a County Durham home after a “gas blast” tore through the property. 

Emergency services were called to Coronation Terrace, in Willington, at around 1.30 am on Monday following an explosion. 

Fire crews were on the scene within minutes of receiving the first call - with one man being rescued from the rubble before being taken to hospital. 

Durham Constabulary has since confirmed that he has been left with serious injuries - although his condition is not currently known. 

This is an ongoing incident - follow our live blog here.

Flames pouring from the site (Image: Picture: DAVID)

New images taken in the early hours of Monday morning show flames roaring from the centre of what’s left of the home, while smoke pours from the building. 

The County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service deployed crews from Durham, Bishop Auckland and Crook, as well as the aerial ladder platform (ALP) from Durham.

Firefighters helped rescue the man while nearby residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution. 

David, who lives nearby, told The Northern Echo how he heard a bang and saw a white light, which he believes was the power lines sparking. 

The aftermath of the explosionThe aftermath of the explosion (Image: Picture: DAVID)

He explained: “It was at 1:27am - that’s the time my clocks stopped. I could hear a man shouting and crying for help, a lady was shouting out for help.

“I got dressed and went around and there were two people already stood there. I saw him stood in the rubble with the flames behind him.”

Jake Wilden told the Echo how he rushed to get his son, wife, and dog to safety. 

“It woke us up at about half past one,” he said. “I rushed to make sure my son was okay and saw the fire through the curtains. 

An aerial shot of the blast (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

“I opened them and there was the flames - they were blue. Dad instincts kicked in and I grabbed my family and took them outside. 

“We weren’t allowed back in until around 3:40am. The blast sounded like a lighting strike.”

Engineers from Northern Gas Networks (NGN) remain on site at the incident alongside police and fire crews on Monday. 

A County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Our crews remain at the scene of an explosion in Willington, Crook.

“At 1.28am we received a call reporting an explosion at a residential property on Coronation Terrace in Willington.

“The first crew were at the scene within minutes, with crews deployed from Durham, Bishop Auckland and Crook, along with the Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) from Durham.

“Firefighters assisted in the rescue of one man, who was attended to at the scene by police officers and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), before being taken to hospital.

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“Nobody else has been reported to be injured. Some residents in the immediate vicinity were evacuated as a precaution.

“Our crews will remain in the area today alongside colleagues from Durham Constabulary, Durham County Council and Northern Gas Networks to assess the site and ensure it is structurally safe.

“We know this will be concerning for local residents and if you live in the area please listen to the advice and instruction of the emergency services. An investigation will take place into the incident in due course.”