Death toll in Leicester blast rises to five: British police

LONDON - British Police on Monday confirmed that the number of people who have died in an explosion in Leicester on Sunday rose to five after another body was found in the collapsed building.

Four people have died after an explosion and subsequent fire destroyed a shop in Leicester, local police said earlier Monday.

The explosion is not linked to terrorism, said the police late Sunday.

Leicestershire police said another four people were still in hospital following the incident in the west of the city on Sunday night, one with serious injuries, and there may yet be more people unaccounted for.

On Monday morning, a Leicestershire fire and rescue service spokesman said emergency services were searching for gaps within the collapsed building in which people could have survived.

Leicester City is located in England's East Midlands region and about 140 km from London.

Local police on Sunday declare a "major incident" after reports of the explosion in the Hinckley Road area of Leicester.

Shortly after 7:00 pm on Sunday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received calls from the public who said they had heard a blast on Hinckley Road.