Updated 10.15pm

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THERE IS NO indication at this stage that a ‘major incident’ in Leicester was terror related according to police.

The incident occurred this evening and involved a large fire at a building on Leicester’s Hinckley Road. The building collapsed due to the force of the blaze.

Four people have been hospitalised in a critical condition at the Leicester Royal Infirmary as a result of the incident.

In a statement this evening Leicestershire Police said:

Emergency services are dealing with a building fire in Leicester following a report of an explosion.The report was made just after 7pm this evening (Sunday 25 February) and a number of neighbouring buildings in Hinckley Road were also damaged as a result.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service are dealing with the incident and Hinckley Road between Mostyn Street and Carlisle Street has been closed off.

Businesses and homes in the immediate vicinity have been evacuated and those affected have been taken to Hinckley Road police station as a temporary measure.

Four people have been taken to hospital and we await an update on their injuries.

The cause of the explosion will be the subject of a joint investigation by the police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

We would ask that the media and public do not speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident but at this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related.

Electricity supply has been cut off for a number of properties in the Hinckley Road area while emergency services deal with the incident.

Anyone concerned about family members are asked to contact 101.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service received calls at around 7pm from the public reporting an explosion and a fire, a spokeswoman told AFP.

It immediately dispatched six fire engines.

“We were en route when the police called to say a building had collapsed,” she said.

Additional specialist search and rescue units were then dispatched, including a search and rescue dog from neighbouring Lincolnshire county.

“We’ve got no indication of what the cause is at this moment,” the spokeswoman said.

East Midlands Ambulance Service said members of its hazardous area response team were among its staff dealing with the incident.

Videos from the scene show a large fire that appears to have broken out in a building just off the road:

The fire is reported to have taken place in a shop on Hinckley Road – which is one of the main roads into Leicester’s city centre.

The latest footage of the scene shows thick smoke in the area.

- Additional reporting - © AFP, 2018