Avon and Somerset Police say a suspicious cause is being treated after an early morning explosion in Bristol, leaving two adults dead.
A suspected explosion that ripped through a Bristol home early this morning has left two adults dead and prompted a major incident response.
Avon and Somerset Police said the blast happened at an address on Sterncourt Road at around 6.30am, and officers are treating the cause as suspicious.. The force added that it is not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and that it is not being treated as a suspected terrorist event.
Police set up cordons around the property and have asked people to avoid the area while emergency services respond. Officers and partner teams were seen in the vicinity, including police vehicles, an ambulance, and a bomb disposal unit.
Misryoum understands residents described the neighbourhood as typically quiet and friendly, though those living within the police cordon have been evacuated to a temporary rest centre.
Police said they do not believe there is any significant damage to nearby properties. Meanwhile, enquiries are ongoing at a linked address in Speedwell, which the force says is connected to the Sterncourt Road incident.
The decision to treat the cause as suspicious, while stressing it is not terrorist-related, shapes how the public should approach the situation. It also underlines why police are urging people not to speculate and to stay away from the cordoned area.
In a statement, Misryoum reports Avon and Somerset Police said they want to reassure the public from the outset, especially given a recent change to the UK threat level. The families of the two people who died have been updated.
Misryoum adds that Avon and Somerset Police described the response as a major incident, explaining it as an event with serious consequences that requires special arrangements by emergency responder agencies.
As investigations continue, the focus is expected to remain on establishing what happened, securing the scene, and supporting those affected by the evacuation.