Firefighters have said that it was an “absolute miracle” no-one was killed in an explosion at a Hare Krishna temple.
The blast rocked the building after cylinders of gas powering a large cooker leaked during a festive meal.
About 30 people escaped from the temple in Leicester when the organiser raised the alarm just seconds before the explosion yesterday. A third of the building in Thoresby Street was destroyed in the blast.
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Worshippers had been cooking in the kitchen area during the afternoon for a religious festival.
The festivities were organised by Iskcon Leicester – the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – to mark Lord Krishna’s “Appearance Day”.