A major incident has been declared after a gas explosion at a residential area in Heysham, Lancashire.

Lancashire Fire said on Twitter that units were called to a row of terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue in the early hours of Sunday and that firefighters were searching a collapsed property.

“A major incident has been declared after we (were) called to terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue. It has been reported that there has been an explosion at a property and firefighters are searching the collapsed property,” Lancashire Fire said.

Lancashire Police said a safety cordon had been put in place and nearby residents had been evacuated in the town some 25 miles north-east of Blackpool.

“We are asking people to please avoid the entire area while we deal with this ongoing incident,” the force said.

The North West Ambulance Service tweeted that it had also sent units to the scene, with a priority to “ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible”.

No information on injuries was immediately available.