A journalist living nearby the scene of an explosion in Edinburgh said it was like a bomb going off in a warzone.  

Andrew Marshall previously worked in Baghdad and has experienced "comparable” detonations while reporting from the war-torn country during the height of the violence.

READ MORE: Man dies after explosion destroys Edinburgh home 

He said that he heard a “thunderous” explosion and felt the blast wave hit his house, which is only a minute away from the site of the disaster in Baberton Mains Avenue, Edinburgh.  

One man, named locally as James Smith, 84, died in the blast and a 43-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man were taken to hospital, but their condition is unknown.  

READ MORE: Hero pulled woman from burning rubble

Mr Marshall said: “I lived in Baghdad for a couple of years as a journalist during the severe violence there and car bombs were regularly detonated close to us, and this was comparable.  

“The blast wave set off all the car alarms in the neighbourhood and activated everyone’s security lights.” 

He described how the community rallied round to held those caught up in the disaster. 

Watch our interview from the scene: