Police issue update after ‘suspicious’ explosion killed two people in Bristol

Two adults have died after an explosion at a house in Sterncourt Road, Bristol, this morning, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Three others, including one child, were injured after the explosion, which came after dozens of residents on a street in Bristol had been evacuated from their homes after reports of a loud ‘bang’.

Superintendent Matt Ebbs told reporters: ‘At about 6.17am we received a call to attend a domestic-related incident at a residential address in Sterncourt Road.

‘Officers were sent to the scene, but shortly before they arrived, at just after 6.30am, there was an explosion inside the property. A woman and a man have died at the address, and we’re treating the explosion as suspicious.

‘Their families have been updated and are being supported by specially trained officers, and our thoughts are very much with them. Three people, a man, a woman and a child, were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.’

Avon and Somerset Police have declared a major incident and said a cordon will remain in place until this evening.

The cause is being treated as suspicious, the force said.

Police are currently not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, and they are not treating it as a suspected terrorist event.

Superintendent Matt Ebbs said: ‘A cordon was put in place to protect the public and to allow inquiries to be carried out at the scene. This included specialist searches carried out by the British Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal, as a precaution.

‘People living within the cordon were evacuated to a temporary rest center, and we want to thank them for their ongoing cooperation and understanding. We fully recognize how disruptive this has been for them, and to manage expectations, we think the cordon will remain in place until at least the evening, and we’ll continue to provide updates where we can.’

Most residents have been evacuated to a nearby pub until the matter is settled, but a bomb squad has also moved in to investigate.

One witness said a loud bang around 6.30am and went to investigate, until being told to ‘get inside’ by armed police forces.

A resident told the Mirror that he and his partner are helping elderly neighbors evacuate to a nearby pub.

He added: ‘We have been told to stay in the Harvester until further notice. We may not be able to go home tonight.’

Another resident claimed to see smoke from a house, telling BristolLive: ‘There were two or three unmarked police cars and a number of ambulances and police vehicles, and now the bomb squad is there.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com.

For more stories like this, check our news page.