Ilford house explosion: Terrifying moment terraced house in busy street blows up

60 firefighters raced to the scene on Ley Street in Ilford last night following reports of a fire that had engulfed the building - which then suddenly exploded

Dramatic footage has captured the moment a terraced house explodes and bursts into flames as debris is sent flying across a residential street in London.

60 firefighters raced to the scene on Ley Street in Ilford last night following reports of a fire that had engulfed the building after it suddenly exploded and sent the roof flying off as a bus and cars drove past.

Glass and bricks were flung across the other side of the street, causing one car to suddenly break while a pedestrian who appeared to get struck with glass began to run in the opposite direction. At least two people have been taken to hospital and their conditions are currently unknown.

Firefighters raced to the house fire after being alerted to the fire at around 4.10pm on December 10. It is understood 60 firefighters arrived at the scene where the first floor of the property were ablaze and that two people were taken to a nearby hospital by the London Ambulance Service.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said at the fire's height, the first floor and loft conversion were fully alight. Station Commander Darren McTernan is at the scene and he said: "Firefighters worked hard to bring this fire under control. Crews will remain on scene throughout the evening.

"Ley Street remains closed between Eastern Avenue and Vicarage Road, impacting traffic in the surrounding area, so please continue to avoid the area if you can. One of the Brigade's 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as a water tower to help fight the fire from above. The Brigade's drone team were also deployed to the incident, offering the Incident Commander an aerial view of the scene."

Control officers took the first of 25 calls about the fire and sent crews from Ilford, Dagenham, Barking and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 6:23pm.

A Met Police spokesperson said last night: "Police were called at 4.08pm on December 10 to reports of a fire at a residential property in Ley Street, Ilford. We have attended alongside the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service. We remain at the scene and cordons are in place."