A body of a man believed to be in his 30s has been found in the debris of flats destroyed in a “devastating explosion”. The discovery means that two people died in the incident in Newcastle. A seven-year-old boy had been pronounced dead at the scene after the blast at residential properties in the early hours of Wednesday. Northumbria police said the body of a man was found by emergency crews as they searched debris later in the day. A spokesperson said: “Formal identification for both those who tragically died is yet to take place.” The cause of the blast, said by one witness to sound like a gunshot, has yet to be established but specialist gas engineers were sent to the scene on Wednesday. Three houses, believed to be six flats, were destroyed. Footage on social media showed flames billowing into the night sky, while drone pictures on Wednesday morning showed the extent of damage caused to the properties. On Thursday Supt Darren Adams said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the two people who have tragically lost their lives. Specialist officers are supporting their loved ones and we would urge everyone to respect their privacy at this time.” Five adults and a child were also taken to hospital with varying degrees of injuries, police said, with all but one of those people discharged. That person, a man in his 30s, remains in hospital and is described as being in a critical but stable condition. Police said there were no reports of missing people related to the incident and that “the investigation into the cause of the explosion remains ongoing”, with cordons expected to be in place for some time. Adams urged people not to speculate about the cause of the blast. “We are working with our partners as our investigation continues,” he said. “For a number of reasons this is complex and time consuming, not least due to the level of damage which has been caused.” Andy Riches, a family friend of some of the victims, said there had been a “devastating explosion”. He said: “They have lost everything.”