Two people have been taken to hospital after a building partially collapsed in Oldham town centre.
Emergency services were called to King Street at about 12:40 GMT on Tuesday after the front of a terraced property gave way. The building had been surrounded by scaffolding at the time of the incident.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said five people were inside the property but all managed to escape.
North West Ambulance Service confirmed that two casualties were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be serious.
A large emergency response was deployed, including three ambulances, an air ambulance and a hazardous area response team. Police and fire crews established a cordon, with several roads closed.
Engineers from Cadent Gas were called to the scene after a gas main was damaged during the collapse.
Chris Campbell, operations manager at Cadent, said engineers were working to secure the supply.
“Our engineers are currently on site securing a damaged gas main, caused by the collapse of a nearby building earlier today,” he said.
“We are working closely with the emergency services and are awaiting confirmation that the site is safe for our teams to access the gas pipe and isolate the supply to the affected property.”
Witnesses described a significant emergency presence in the area. Local businessman Kwok Wong said the scene was already attended by emergency services when he arrived.
“The building was a mess,” he said. “Air ambulances landed on top of the Mecca Bingo roof.”
The property, previously home to a Euro King Mini Market, is owned by Oldham councillor Kamran Ghafoor, who declined to comment.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area while investigations continue.
