Work is under way to clear rubble and debris from a Hare Krishna temple following a gas explosion.

More than 30 people escaped without injury when the temple, in Thoresby Street, North Evington, Leicester, went up in flames on Friday afternoon.

Crews arrived at the weekend to start removing debris from the site, but a huge mound of rubble, where the kitchen of the building once stood, remained yesterday afternoon.

Clearance work is expected to take place over the next few days.

The garage of an adjoining house was destroyed and residents are now staying with family.

Ankit Patel, 18, who lives in the house, said: "The garage is gone and there's a few cracks in the side of the house.

"Some of the insulation has been burnt too. The electricity went off but that's back on now but there's no water."

Firefighters who tackled the blaze on Friday said it was a "miracle" that no one had been killed or seriously injured.

Worshippers at the temple were celebrating for the second day after commemorating Janmashtami, the birth of Krishna, on Thursday.

They were using a gas cylinder to cook food.

One man disconnected the cylinder but quickly realised gas was still leaking and urged everyone outside just seconds before the explosion ripped through the building.

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