1st LD Writethru: British police declare "major incident" after reported blast in Leicester

LONDON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- British police on Sunday declare a "major incident" after reports of an explosion in the Hinckley Road area of Leicester.

Leicestershire Police says officers are responding to a major incident in Leicester city centre and people are being advised to avoid the area.

Leicester Police said on Twitter this evening: "There has been a major incident on in the Hinckley Road, Leicester. All emergency services are currently dealing with this."

"Carlisle Street and part of the Hinckley Road have been closed. Please avoid the area."

At around 7:03 p.m., Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received calls from the public who said they had heard a blast in the Hinckley Road.

A spokeswoman for the force said six fire engines had been requested and that the incident is currently being treated as a search and rescue operation.

Police in Leicester have declared a "major incident" tonight after a "massive explosion" at a Polish convenience store, she said.

Dramatic pictures and video shared on social media show flames erupting from a property in the Hinckley Road in Leicester City, which, located in England's East Midlands region, is about 140 kilometers from London.

Early reports suggested the incident was at a convenience store and the building appears to have been flattened by a blast, the current cause of the explosion is unknown, and a huge fire with flames stretching higher than where the building stood can be seen for miles.

It's not known if anyone was in the store, a former Londis now called Western Park Store, at the bus stop or inside the house above at the time. Enditem