NINE people were taken to hospital after a blaze at a terraced house in Leigh today.

Fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom at the house in May Street, Leigh at just before 9.30am.

Six children and three adults were in the house and all were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

The blaze is believed to have started in an upstairs bedroom but the rest of the property was damaged by smoke.

Everyone in the house is understood to have made their own way out of the terraced property just off Twist Lane, Leigh. Martin Ode who was travelling on a bus from Wigan to Leigh which was stopped by police on Twist Lane, said:

"There was thick, black smoke pouring from the upstairs, there were people in the street screaming, it was mad.

"From where I was sitting it didn't look too bad, but you don't know really. Ambulances were screaming on to the street and there were fire engines outside," he added.

All the casualties were taken taken to Wigan Infirmary where a spokeswoman confirmed they were all in a satisfactory condition and not seriously injured. Two tenders from Leigh were called to the blaze at 9.27 and were still at the scene at the time of going to press.

A spokeswoman for the Fire Brigade, said:"Nine people, three adults and six children were taken to hospital. The fire destroyed the upstairs and there was damage by smoke to the resat of the property."

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