A neighbour heard a “mighty bang” and said the roof “came off” in an explosion and fire at a house that killed one person.

A second person was taken to hospital to be treated for serious injuries following the incident in Cleat Hill on Saturday morning, Bedfordshire Police said in a post on social media.

A neighbour who lives in a nearby property said: “I  just heard the bang, I heard a mighty bang that was really massive.

“I can’t describe it. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

The resident, who was evacuated from her home following the incident, said she thought initially the noise at around 7am was caused by something falling on her roof or a car that had come off the road.

She continued to say that the “whole roof” of the affected house “came off” in the explosion.

She added: “Whatever was left of the roof went up in flames, I didn’t see the flames itself, when I went out it was more like smoke.

“We weren’t allowed to go closer because it wasn’t safe, we were told to go back inside because they didn’t know what was going to happen.

“I left at about 8 o’clock last night and fire brigade have been there through the night.”

She added that she had been told to call 101 to ask for updates on when it was safe to return to her home.

Bedfordshire Borough Council has set up an emergency assistance centre for people who have been evacuated from their homes,  police said.

In a post on Saturday evening, police wrote on X: “Inquiries are ongoing to identify the cause of the explosion and residents still in their homes should keep their windows open.

“We understand that this incident is very concerning for those who live in the vicinity and are still advising for people to avoid the Cleat Hill area whilst work at the scene continues.”

The cause of the explosion and fire remains unclear.

According to the Bedford Borough Council website, work was undertaken to address a gas leak in the area earlier in the year after which the council said it was still looking for a long term-solution.