Newcastle explosion: Second body found at scene of blast in street in Benwell
A second body has been found after an explosion in Newcastle which also killed a seven-year-old boy, police have said.
The body - believed to be that of a man in his 30s - was found in the debris by emergency crews.
Formal identification is yet to take place.
It comes after a seven-year-old boy died as a result of the incident in Violet Close in the Benwell area of the city in the early hours of Wednesday.
Several flats were reduced to rubble by the blast.
Supt Darren Adams, from Northumbria Police, said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the two people who have tragically lost their lives.
“Specialist officers are supporting their loved ones and we would urge everyone to respect their privacy at this time.”
Six people - five adults and a child - were taken to hospital, with all but one having now been discharged.
An investigation is under way into the cause of the explosion.
Speaking on Wednesday Assistant chief fire officer Lynsey McVay from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said six flats had been "badly affected, two of which suffered the main brunt of the explosion".
Emergency services were called to Violet Close shortly before 1am.
Drone pictures from above the street showed at least one house appeared to have been completely destroyed, with roofs collapsed and firefighters working among the rubble.
A family friend of some of the victims said there had been a "devastating explosion".
Andy Riches, a safety steward at Newcastle United, has set up an online fundraiser in aid of the occupants of one of the homes affected.
He is friends with the grandfather of a couple with two children who live in one of the flats, and said: "They have lost everything."