Evacuated Bristol Residents Allowed Home After Explosion Kills Two

Residents evacuated from a residential area in Bristol after an explosion killed two people and injured three others have been allowed to return home.

Police responded to a domestic-related incident at a house on Sterncourt Road in Frenchay minutes before the blast occurred around 6:30 a.m. BST on Sunday. A man and a woman died, and a man, a woman and a child suffered minor injuries that required hospital treatment. Avon and Somerset Police called the explosion suspicious but have not determined its cause.

The house remains cordoned off, with officers still investigating the scene on Monday. One window on the property is boarded up, and a white forensics tent stands outside.

Police reduced the cordon, allowing almost all residents to go home. Bristol City Council is assisting those still affected.

At a Sunday afternoon news conference, Superintendent Matt Ebbs said officers conducted inquiries at a property in Speedwell linked to the man who died. He noted that police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident, though it remains a complex and sensitive investigation.

The British Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team carried out specialist searches on Sunday as a precaution. Police reported no significant damage to neighboring properties.

Residents had been relocated from a nearby Harvester restaurant to the Begbrook Social Club around noon on Sunday, when police declared a major incident.