DERBYSHIRE EXPLOSION LATEST: Enquiries continue into cause of tragedy which claimed lives of two people

Enquiries are continuing into the cause of a house fire in Riddings, yesterday (Sunday), in which two people died.
The scene of the explosion and fire in Riddings in which two people died.The scene of the explosion and fire in Riddings in which two people died.
The scene of the explosion and fire in Riddings in which two people died.

The bodies of a married couple were found in the wreckage of the property on Valley View Road yesterday afternoon, after the fire had been extinguished.

Emergency services were called to the house shortly after 7.30am after neighbours heard an explosion.

The couple involved have been named locally as Simon and Shelley Saxton-Cooper. Their families have been informed but they have not been formally identified.

A Home Office pathologist will be carrying out post mortem examinations on the bodies as soon as possible to determine the cause of their deaths.

Police are keeping an open mind about the cause of the fire and a joint investigation, with the fire service, remains ongoing.

The enquiry is still at an early stage and because of the extent of the fire damage, it’s a difficult and complex investigation and there will be a full forensic examination of the scene.

The area around the house remains cordoned off until this work is completed.

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