Nine people were injured, one seriously, when a huge explosion from a launderette rocked a busy high street and set the building alight yesterday.
Eyewitnesses said a fireball engulfed Steventon Dry Cleaners in Cheadle, Staffordshire, following the explosion which occurred shortly after 1pm.
An emergency service official said it was a miracle no-one was killed as shoppers and workers on lunch breaks filtered through the narrow street in the busy market town.
Mr Kevin Chadwick manager of E&E Furniture Stores opposite, said he heard two explosions and thought a bomb had gone off.
He said: ''I saw people running everywhere screaming and shouting. It was pandemonium. I saw a young lady who was badly burnt, and she just collapsed in front of the shop. There was a young child whose clothes were on fire but someone grabbed him and put them out.
''There was a two-second gap between the explosions and seconds after that the whole building was up in flames.
''The force of the blast threw open my front door and the heat from the fire was so intense you could feel it inside.
''I saw the owner, Ivy Steventon, coming out round the back with another young lady. They didn't look too bad, but she was crying. It's a miracle no-one was killed. It was market day and there was a lot of people about.''
Mr Bob Lee, a spokesman for Staffordshire ambulance service, said: ''Nine patients were taken to the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, three of whom were badly burned.
''One has been transferred to the specialist burns unit in Birmingham and another to the compression and specialist unit at Warrington.''
Fire station officer Mr Alan Paulinski said: ''Eight firefighters with breathing apparatus went into the building and rescued a man from the first floor. He was unconscious and suffering from smoke inhalation.
''Seven other casualties were also tended to but it is not clear how many were in the shop and how many were passers-by.
''We are waiting for the electricity board to isolate the supply so we can go in and investigate the cause.
''Being a dry cleaners there were obviously some toxic chemicals in the building, which did not help.''
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