Four people including two children in hospital after Ayr explosion
Gorse Park in the Kincaidston area of the town remains closed this morning.
Last updated 19th Oct 2021
Four people including two children are in hospital after an explosion in the Kincaidston area of Ayr last night.
Dozens of people have been evacuated from their homes and police have confirmed four houses have been affected.
Councillor for Ayr East, Chris Cullen, said: "I had just finished my dinner when I felt a thud.
"My front door wasn't fully closed and it blew open and we didn't know what was going on.
"The next thing I knew social media was going crazy and I jumped in the car to get to the scene."
The blast has been described as sounding like a bomb and we've spoken to locals who heard it up to three miles away.
Chris added: "Where there was a row of houses, there is now two missing.
"It is quite a close-knit area because everyone knows each other and when this happened last night everybody pulled together to clean the place up."
A Just Giving page has been set up for families whose homes have been destroyed and has raised thousands of pounds in a matter of hours.
Margaret is a resident in the area and lives around 400 metres away from where the explosion took place is telling us about what she saw last night.
"I could hear kids screaming, dogs barking and I could hear windows being smashed.
"Everyone was running out on to the streets wondering what was going on."
Margaret hasn't been evacuated from her house but she says some of her neighbours have been told they won't get back to their homes for a few days.
She added: "This has really frightened a lot of people."
South Ayrshire Council says it is working to get people back into their homes as soon as possible.
A spokesperson said: "The Council is grateful for the support of the community but would ask people at this stage to stop dropping off material support at Queen Margaret Academy.
"We will clarify in due course if any support is needed and how people can contribute.
“At the moment, the Council is working with emergency services to determine who will be able to return to their house and who will not due to ongoing building safety concerns.
“We are working to establish a reception centre in the area for anyone returning who stayed with friends or relatives as well as those who were accommodated overnight in a local hotel.
“Our aim is to get people back home as soon as possible but we can only do this once we are confident properties are safe."
They added: "Once we know who may still require accommodation, our housing teams will work with residents to support them.
“As soon as we are clear where the inner cordon lies we will start the clear up operation which requires to be done with sensitivity due to personal effects being included among general debris.
“Council staff are at the Mercure Hotel working with those accommodated there.
"Anyone else affected can contact us at 0300 123 0900.
"Meetings are taking place this morning on a number of issues that require immediate attention. Further updates will follow these meetings.”