A car on the Ordsall estate in Salford was damaged in an as-yet unexplained blast, Greater Manchester Police said.
Officers cordoned off the Cloughfield Avenue cul-de-sac, off Robert Hall Street, at around 11.30pm on Wednesday 10 February.
The army bomb squad, Royal Logisitics Corps’ Explosive Ordnance Device Squadron, was scrambled to the quiet residential street in the aftermath of the blast.
Pictures from the scene show a light grey Fiat Punto with damage to the wheels and underside of the vehicle.
There were no reports of anyone in the car at the time, nor of any injuries to passers-by.
A flash, followed by the sound of the blast and puffs of white smoke, were widely reported across the Ordsall estate.
Detectives are now calling for anyone with pictures of the incident to email them to investigators at web.manager@gmp.police.uk.
Plumes of white smoke drift over Ordsall homes after loud explosion heard – by @cjderbyshire
Twitter flooded with pictures of smoke after the loud bang – by @DontCrampMyBlog
It’s understood the police investigative team are dealing with a number of conflicting reports as to what caused the blast.
A spokesperson could not confirm at this stage whether an explosive device had caused the damage to the car.
There is not thought to be any wider or ongoing threat to the general public.
In the aftermath of the explosion a police van blocked the entry to Cloughfield Avenue but the police presence was relatively light.
By 3am on Thursday morning crime scene investigators and specialist teams had widened the cordon, closing Cloughfield Avenue to traffic and closing Robert Hall Street at the junction with Oldfield Road.
The road closures are expected to remain in place well into Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said.
Readers in Ordsall reported being jolted awake by the sound of the single blast.
Latest: Police probe ‘suspicious’ car explosion in Ordsall
Leah Bolger Dean wrote on Facebook: “Think it’s a car blew up, my house was shaking it woke my kids up xx”
The loud bang was reportedly heard as far away as Manchester city centre, Manchester airport, Fallowfield and Wythenshawe.
The centre of the explosion, in the middle of the Ordsall estate near Salford Quays – Google Satellite
Twitter and Facebook users flooded Greater Manchester Police with post updates in the wake of the blast.
@GMPSalfordEast massive explosion in Ordsall? Sounded like a bomb or house explosion?
— David Hickey (@hickey_dave) February 10, 2016
One local resident who wished to remain anonymous told SalfordOnline.com: “I live round the corner from Cloughfield Avenue.
“There’s a Fiat Punto blown up and to be honest no signs of your typical car fire, no plumes of black smoke et cetera.
“Once it happened just a big cloud of white smoke and the noise, it was very, very loud.”
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Detectives are investigating after an explosion involving a car in Salford last night, Wednesday 10 February.
“Around midnight police received calls about the incident, arrived and found a Fiat Punto damaged on Cloughfield Avenue, in Ordsall.
“The investigation into the events and circumstances surrounding the incident is at an early stage.
“People who may have photographs of the incident are asked to send them in to the investigation team through web.manager@gmp.police.uk
“Police have cordoned off Cloughfield Avenue and Robert Hall Street and these will be closed for some time and people are asked to find alternative routes particularly during the morning drive to work.”
Robert Hall Street in Ordsall is expected to be closed well into Thursday morning – Google Satellite
Officers are appealing to anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Main image supplied by SalfordOnline.com reader (anonymous)
