SHOCKED crowds gathered on Bow Street in Bolton trying to come to terms with an explosion which left one man dead and a further 30 injured.

A night shift had been brought in to work on the construction of the Croal sewer in July 1939 when an acetylene cylinder exploded with tragic consequences.

One of the council workmen was killed and his colleagues were hurled in all directions due to the force of the blast.

Windows of many of the surrounding shops were shattered and as you can see from our photograph, the next morning work was underway in repairing shop fronts and boarding up some of the damaged buildings.

The Evening News report of the incident said: “An idea of the force of the explosion can be gauged from the fact that one of the dead man’s feet was picked up 40 yards away and a piece of metal was found in Bradshawgate.”

The work was being carried out around the area where the former multi-storey car park was built.