Gas explosion in Garratt Lane, Earlsfield (Picture: Johannes Rueter)

Three people have been injured in an explosion after a suspected gas leak at a block of flats in south London.

Shocking pictures from the scene shows brick walls reduced to rubble and the contents of one flat all over the ground outside.

Neighbours in Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, heard a loud bang just before 7.30am and walked out to see the ‘carnage’.

Jack Hardman, a musician who lives opposite the flats, told Mirror Online: ‘The whole house shook literally. It was big, big enough for all my guitars to fall to the floor in my room.


‘Then I heard all the car alarms in the area go off and within two minutes, there were loads of sirens.’



Police and emergency responders were scrambled and an elderly man was rushed to hospital.

Firefighters inspect the blown-up flats and secure the building (Picture: Camille Marek)

Gas engineers and firefighters are at the scene in Earlsfield (Picture: Camille Marek)

The ground flat was blown to smithereens in the explosion (Picture: Camille Marek)

Three others were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Officers said no arrests have been made.

Sergeant John Nicolaou said: ‘At this stage we believe up to three people have been injured as a result of what is believed to be a gas explosion.

‘We await a full update on their condition. The Health and Safety Executive will be informed in due course and the Gas Board are at the scene now. All emergency services continue to work together at the scene along with the local authority.’

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said: ‘Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters have been called to a suspected gas explosion on Garratt Lane in Wandsworth.

‘A ground-floor flat in a three-storey block has been affected. A 25-metre cordon is in place as a precaution.

‘Firefighters rescued one man from the affected flat. He has been taken to hospital. A man from an adjacent flat left before the brigade arrived and has also been taken to hospital.’

Got a story for Metro.co.uk? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.