Image caption Several buildings collapsed in the blast

A shop owner accused of causing an explosion that destroyed a number of buildings and left 31 people injured has appeared in court.

Two people were seriously hurt in the blast in New Ferry in March 2017.

Pascal Blasio, 56, of Gillingham, Kent, appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life.

Mr Blasio, the owner of a furniture shop on the explosion site, will appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 2 May.

About 20 members of the public attended the short hearing, where Mr Blasio was released on unconditional bail.

Representatives for company Contract Natural Gas, based in Harrogate, Yorkshire, also appeared in court charged with failing to discharge general health and safety duty to a person other than an employee.

The company is accused of failing to ensure the redundant live gas service to the Homes in Style store was disconnected after a meter was removed.

No pleas were entered to the charges. </s> A man charged over a huge gas explosion which devastated a Wirral town is set to make his first appearance in court this afternoon.

Pascal George Francois Blasio, 56, was arrested last May as part of an investigation into an explosion in New Ferry on March 25, 2017.

Pascal Blasio - who now lives in Gillingham, Kent, is charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life.

The details of the charge include that on March 25 2017 in Birkenhead. he ‘unlawfully and maliciously caused by an explosive substance an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.’

Mr Blasio is listed as the director of Homes In Style LTD, a furniture store based at the address at the centre of the explosion on March 25, 2017.

The discount furniture store and a dance studio at the same address - owned by a separate business - were destroyed.

Two people were severely injured in the explosion, with around 30 others described as “walking wounded”.

Contract Natural Gas Limited (CNG), an independent gas supplier which provides gas exclusively to business customers, has also been charged with an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to discharge general health and safety duty to a person other than an employee.

The details of the charge being that between 22/8/2012 and 25/3/2017 in Birkenhead, they failed to conduct their undertaking to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of persons not in its employment, including Lewis Jones, by failing to ensure that the redundant live gas service to 43 Bebington Road was disconnected following removing the meter.

The ECHO understands that a representative for CNG will also appear in court today.

No action will be taken against a 63 year-old man from the Flintshire area who was also arrested in connection with the incident.

A 65-year-old man from Cheshire was notified in July 2017 that he was no longer under police investigation in relation to the case.

Today, Pascal Blasio is set to appear at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on Chester Street, Birkenhead charged with the offences.

We’ll be bringing you live updates from the court as he makes his first appearance. </s> A furniture shop owner has appeared in court charged with causing an explosion which injured more than 30 people.

Pascal Blasio, 56, of Gillingham in Kent, appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court in Birkenhead on Wednesday charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or injure property after the blast in New Ferry on March 25 last year.

Blasio, director of the Homes in Style shop on Bebington Road, New Ferry, was given unconditional bail and ordered to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on May 2.

Pascal Blasio of Gillingham, Kent, leaving Wirral Magistrates' Court in Birkenhead charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or injure property after a blast in New Ferry on March 25 last year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.

He wore a brown leather jacket with a sheepskin collar and a striped scarf and spoke to confirm his name and address.

About 20 members of the public were also in court for the short hearing, including Lewis Jones, 21, who was seriously injured in the explosion.

Representatives for company Contract Natural Gas, based in Harrogate, Yorkshire, also appeared in court charged with failing to discharge general health and safety duty to a person other than an employee.

The company is accused of failing to ensure the redundant live gas service to the furniture store was disconnected after a meter was removed.

District Judge John McGarva also sent the case to Liverpool Crown Court on May 2.

No pleas were entered to the charges.

Thirty-three people were injured, two seriously, and several buildings collapsed in the explosion.

The blast, which happened at 9.15pm on a Saturday, destroyed a dance studio where children had been just an hour before and blew in the front of a Chinese restaurant.

Wirral South MP Alison McGovern has called for "urgent" regeneration of the area since the explosion more than a year ago.

In a statement released on the anniversary of the blast, she said: "New Ferry is in urgent need of regeneration and there are still a lot of empty buildings blighting the town.

Regeneration plans for the area were submitted to the Government by Wirral Council in December in the hope of securing financial support for the scheme and the authority has since been asked to provide more information on the level of resources needed.

A council spokesman said: "We have received no guarantees from the Government that they are able to provide any financial assistance, but council officers, the council leader, the local MP and the Metro Mayor are all committed to maintaining dialogue with ministers on this crucial issue and the council's own commitment to helping to build a better New Ferry in the short and long term is unwavering."

He said the council had spent Â£350,000 so far on the recovery effort following the explosion. </s> A FURNITURE shop owner appeared in court charged with causing a gas explosion which devastated a Wirral town and injured more than 30 people.

Pascal George Francois Blasio appeared at Wirral Magistrates’ Court in Birkenhead on Wednesday April 4 charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or injure property.

Blasio, who wore a brown leather aviator-style jacket with sheepskin lining, blue jeans and a stripy scarf, spoke only to confirm his name and address.

The 56-year-old, of Gillingham in Kent was granted unconditional bail and was ordered to attend Liverpool Crown Court on May 2.

He appeared in front of a packed courtroom - with more than 20 people in the public gallery - including Lewis Jones who was seriously injured in the blast in New Ferry on March 25, 2017.

Mr Jones was supported by close friends and family.

Representatives for company Contract National Gas LTD also appeared in court, charged with failing to discharge general health and safety duty to a person other than an employee.

The company is accused of failing to ensure the redundant live gas service to the furniture store was disconnected after a meter was removed.

District Judge John McGarva also referred their case to Liverpool Crown Court on May 2.

Mr Blasio is listed as the director of Homes In Style LTD, a furniture store based at the address at the centre of the explosion.

The discount furniture store and a dance studio at the same address - owned by a separate business - were destroyed.

Two people were severely injured in the incident, with around 30 others described as “walking wounded”.

Neither Blasio or the gas company representatives entered any pleas.

Wirral South MP Alison McGovern has called for “urgent” regeneration of the area since the explosion more than a year ago.

In a statement released on the anniversary of the blast, she said: “New Ferry is in urgent need of regeneration and there are still a lot of empty buildings blighting the town.

“However, I do believe that with the determination that has been shown by everybody in New Ferry that we will get there and it will come back from this stronger if we continue to pull together.”

Regeneration plans for the area were submitted to the Government by Wirral Council in December in the hope of securing financial support for the scheme and the authority has since been asked to provide more information on the level of resources needed.

A council spokesman said: “We have received no guarantees from the Government that they are able to provide any financial assistance, but council officers, the council leader, the local MP and the Metro Mayor are all committed to maintaining dialogue with ministers on this crucial issue and the council’s own commitment to helping to build a better New Ferry in the short and long term is unwavering.”

He said the council had spent £350,000 so far on the recovery effort following the explosion. </s> NEW YORK — An explosion in a crowded Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan on Saturday night left 29 people injured, and authorities called the blast an “intentional act,” but said there was no terrorist connection.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also said a second site was being investigated.

“Tonight, New York City experienced a very bad incident,” de Blasio said at a news conference near the scene. “We have no credible and specific threat at this moment. “

De Blasio said the blast was “an intentional act” and tried to calm any fears among nervous New Yorkers, saying the explosion had no terrorist connection and wasn’t related to a pipe bomb explosion earlier Saturday in New Jersey at a charity run.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the explosion appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation.

New York officials said the incident was not due to a gas leak.

The blast happened on West 23rd street, front of a residence for the blind, near a major thoroughfare with many restaurants. Witnesses say the explosion at about 8:30 p.m. blew out the windows of businesses and scattered debris in the area. Officials said no evacuations were necessary.

Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said several people were taken to hospitals with injuries. One of the injured suffered a puncture wound and was considered serious. Officials said the other injuries were minor, described as scrapes and bruises.

Donald tweeted a warning to residents near the second site that officials are investigating, saying: “As a precautionary measure, we are asking residents who live on West 27th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan to stay away from windows facing 27th Street until we clear the suspicious.”

A number of New York City subway routes have been affected by the earlier explosion.

Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area.

“We felt it, we heard it, the restaurant went real quiet, the 26-year-old Gonzalez said. “It wasn’t like jolting or anything, everyone just went quiet.”

Rudy Alcide, a bouncer at Vanity Nightclub at 21st Street and 6th Avenue, said he, at first, thought something large had fallen.

“It was an extremely loud noise, everything was shaking, the windows were shaking, it was crazy,” he said. “It was extremely loud, almost like thunder, but louder.”

The FBI and Homeland Security officials, along with the ATF arson and explosive task force are also at the scene.

The White House said President Barack Obama has been apprised of the explosion in New York City and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

In St. Cloud, Minnesota, police said multiple people were injured at a shopping mall Saturday evening in an attack that possibly involved both a shooting and stabbing. The suspect was believed to be dead.

Hillary Clinton says she has been briefed “about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attack in Minnesota.”

She says the nation needs to support its first responders and “pray for the victims.”

“We have to let this investigation unfold,” she said.

The reports of a possible blast come hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, shortly before thousands of runners participated in a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. No injuries were reported. </s> NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities are looking for a naturalized Afghanistan citizen for questioning in a weekend explosion in a Manhattan neighborhood that injured 29 people as the governor conceded Monday that investigators could no longer rule out international terrorism.

The man sought for questioning was identified as 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami. Mayor Bill de Blasio said he could be armed and dangerous.

“We need to get this guy in right away,” de Blasio said on CNN. “My experience is one the FBI zeroes in on someone, they will get them.”

Cuomo had said Sunday that there was no evidence to suggest that the bombing was related to international terrorism, but he appeared to walk that back Monday.

“Today’s information suggests it may be foreign related, but we’ll see where it goes,” he said.

Authorities were still working to determine whether there is a connection between multiple explosive devices found over the weekend in two states: the Manhattan explosion, an unexploded pressure cooker device blocks away, a pipe bomb blast at a Jersey shore town and five explosive devices at a New Jersey train station.

On Sunday night, FBI agents in Brooklyn stopped “a vehicle of interest” in the investigation of the Manhattan explosion, according to FBI spokeswoman Kelly Langmesser.

She wouldn’t provide further details, but a government official and a law enforcement official who were briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that five people in the car were being questioned at an FBI building in Manhattan.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the ongoing investigation.

No one has been charged with any crime, and the investigation is continuing, Langmesser said.

Cuomo, touring the site of Saturday’s blast that injured 29 people in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, said the unexploded pressure cooker device appeared “similar in design” to the bomb that exploded in Chelsea, but he didn’t provide details.

On Sunday, a federal law enforcement official said the Chelsea bomb contained a residue of Tannerite, an explosive often used for target practice that can be picked up in many sporting goods stores. The discovery of Tannerite may be important as authorities probe whether the two New York City devices and the pipe bomb at the Jersey shore are connected.

Cellphones were discovered at the site of both bombings, but no Tannerite residue was identified in the New Jersey bomb remnants, in which a black powder was detected, said the official, who wasn’t authorized to comment on an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The pipe bomb exploded Saturday in Seaside Park, New Jersey, before a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. The race was canceled and no one was injured.

Late Sunday, five suspicious devices were found near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said the devices were found in a bag in a trash can by two men who reported seeing wires and a pipe coming out of the package. One of the devices exploded as a bomb squad used a robot to try to disarm it. No injuries were reported.

There was no immediate word on whether the devices were similar to those in nearby Seaside Park or New York City.

Officials haven’t revealed any details about the makeup of the pressure cooker device, except to say it had wires and a cellphone attached to it. On Sunday night, police blew up the device, rendering it safe. A forensic examination of the device will be sent to the FBI Laboratory at Quantico, Virginia, police said.

Homemade pressure cooker bombs were used in the Boston Marathon attacks in 2013 that killed three people and injured more than 260.

On Sunday, a team of five FBI agents searched an Uber driver’s vehicle that had been damaged in the Manhattan blast. The driver had just picked up three passengers and was driving when the explosion occurred, shattering the car’s windows and leaving gaping holes in the rear passenger-side door.

The Chelsea explosion left many rattled in a city that had marked the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks only a week earlier and that was schedule to hold a United Nations meeting Monday to address the refugee crisis in Syria.

Witnesses described a deafening blast that shattered storefront windows and injured bystanders with shrapnel in the mostly residential neighborhood on the city’s west side.

One New Yorker, Anthony Stanhope, was in his apartment when the blast went off. At first he thought it was thunder and lightning.

“Then all of a sudden, car horns went off, and I thought, ‘Oh, my God, this isn’t lightning. This is too loud,” Stanhope said. “This is a bomb.”

Caldwell reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Karen Matthews, Maria Sanminiatelli, Michael Balsamo and Dake Kang in New York and Eric Tucker and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.

Crime scene investigators work at the scene of Saturday's explosion in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Crime scene investigators work at the scene of Saturday's explosion in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) In this Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 frame from video provided by Orangetheory Fitness Chelsea, a door shatters after an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. Investigators scrambled Sunday to find out who planted a bomb that rocked Chelsea, scouring shrapnel, forensic traces and surveillance video. (Orangetheory Fitness Chelsea via AP) In this Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 frame from video provided by Orangetheory Fitness Chelsea, a door shatters after an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. Investigators scrambled Sunday to find out who planted a bomb that rocked Chelsea, scouring shrapnel, forensic traces and surveillance video. (Orangetheory Fitness Chelsea via AP) This undated photo provided by the FBI shows Ahmad Khan Rahami. The New York Police Department said it is looking for Rahami for questioning in the New York City explosion that happened Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (FBI via AP) This undated photo provided by the FBI shows Ahmad Khan Rahami. The New York Police Department said it is looking for Rahami for questioning in the New York City explosion that happened Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. (FBI via AP) </s> Police and firefighters work near the scene of an apparent explosion in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation. More than two dozen people have sustained minor injuries in the explosion on West 23rd Street. Andres Kudacki/AP Photo

NEW YORK — An explosion in a crowded Manhattan neighborhood on Saturday night left 29 people injured, and authorities said a second nearby site was also being investigated. Mayor Bill de Blasio called the blast an "intentional act," but said there was no terrorist connection.

"Tonight, New York City experienced a very bad incident," de Blasio said at a news conference near the scene in Chelsea. "We have no credible and specific threat at this moment. "

De Blasio said the blast was "an intentional act" and tried to calm any fears among nervous New Yorkers, saying the explosion had no terrorist connection and wasn't related to a pipe bomb explosion earlier Saturday in New Jersey at a charity run.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that a second device that officers were investigating four blocks from the scene appeared to be a pressure cooker attached to wiring and a cellphone. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation, said the device was found inside a plastic bag on West 27th Street.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the explosion appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation. New York officials said the incident was not due to a gas leak.

The blast happened on West 23rd street, in front of a residence for the blind, near a major thoroughfare with many restaurants and a Trader Joe's supermarket. Witnesses say the explosion at about 8:30 p.m. blew out the windows of businesses and scattered debris in the area. Officials said no evacuations were necessary.

Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said several people were taken to hospitals with injuries. One of the injured suffered a puncture wound that was considered serious. Officials said the other injuries were minor, described as scrapes and bruises.

Donald tweeted a warning to residents near the second site that officials are investigating, saying: "As a precautionary measure, we are asking residents who live on West 27th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan to stay away from windows facing 27th Street until we clear the suspicious."

A number of New York City subway routes were affected by the earlier explosion.

Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area.

"We felt it, we heard it, the restaurant went real quiet, the 26-year-old Gonzalez said. "It wasn't like jolting or anything, everyone just went quiet."

Rudy Alcide, a bouncer at Vanity Nightclub at 21st Street and 6th Avenue, said he, at first, thought something large had fallen.

"It was an extremely loud noise, everything was shaking, the windows were shaking, it was crazy," he said. "It was extremely loud, almost like thunder, but louder."

The FBI and Homeland Security officials, along with the ATF arson and explosive task force are also at the scene.

The White House said President Barack Obama has been apprised of the explosion in New York City and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

In St. Cloud, Minnesota, police said multiple people were injured at a shopping mall Saturday evening in an attack that possibly involved both a shooting and stabbing. The suspect was believed to be dead.

Hillary Clinton says she has been briefed "about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attack in Minnesota."

She says the nation needs to support its first responders and "pray for the victims."

"We have to let this investigation unfold," she said.

The reports of a possible blast come hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, shortly before thousands of runners participated in a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. No injuries were reported.

Associated Press writers Jake Pearson and Maria Sanminiatelli in New York and Eric Tucker and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed. </s> A Manhattan federal jury began deliberations Monday in the high-profile case of a Brooklyn man caught on video detonating a pipe bomb last year in a crowded tunnel connecting the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square.

The evidence against Akayed Ullah, 28, has been so overwhelming that even his defense lawyers admit he detonated the bomb. But they argued that he did it out of depression, not for ISIS, and that he planned to kill only himself.

Ullah faces five to 20 years in prison if the jury buys the defense and convicts him of a single act of destroying public property with an explosive device. He faces multiple life sentences if convicted on all counts.

His lawyers on Monday showed the jury shots of the video surveillance showing Ullah detonating the bomb, pointing out that the device exploded just as the morning rush-hour crowd around him dissipated.

“If harming anyone other than himself was his intention, he missed the perfect opportunity,” defense lawyer Amy Gallicchio said in closing arguments.

Prosecutors argued that this was dumb luck. </s> NEW YORK (AP) — An apparent explosion in a crowded Chelsea neighborhood of New York City on Saturday night left 26 people with minor injuries, authorities said.

Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said on Twitter that the explosion happened at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on West 23rd Street, which is a major thoroughfare with many restaurants.

He says several people were taken to hospitals with injuries.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says there is no reason to think that the explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood had a terrorist connection, but he did call the blast an “intentional act.”

The mayor also said there is no specific connection to a pipe bomb explosion in the New Jersey shore town of Seaside Park earlier Saturday at a charity run. There were no injuries in that incident.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro says a total of 29 people were injured in the Chelsea blast. He says one person’s injuries were serious and the rest were minor.

Police Commissioner James O’Neill says officers are investigating a possible second explosive device a few blocks away from the explosion at about 8:30 p.m. on West 23rd Street.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the explosion appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building on West 23rd Street.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation.

The blast happened in front of a residence for the blind. Witnesses say the explosion blew out the windows of businesses in the area.

No detail about the extent of damage was immediately available. A number of New York City subway routes have been affected by the incident.

Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area.

“We felt it, we heard it, the restaurant went real quiet, the 26-year-old Gonzalez said. “It wasn’t like jolting or anything, everyone just went quiet.”

Witnesses say FBI and Homeland Security officials, along with the ATF arson and explosive task force are also at the scene.

The blast came hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park shortly before thousands of runners participated in a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. No injuries were reported.

Check back to timesleader.com for the latest updates to this story.

A police officer escorts an injured man away from the scene of an apparent explosion on West 23rd Street in New York on Sunday. A police officer escorts an injured man away from the scene of an apparent explosion on West 23rd Street in New York on Sunday. Firefighters arrive at the scene of an apparent explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. Police say 26 people have sustained minor injuries in the explosion on West 23rd Street. Firefighters arrive at the scene of an apparent explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. Police say 26 people have sustained minor injuries in the explosion on West 23rd Street. Police work at the scene of an explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that the explosion appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation. Police work at the scene of an explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that the explosion appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation. Police and firefighters work near the scene of an apparent explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. Police and firefighters work near the scene of an apparent explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016.
Pascal Blasio makes an initial court appearance charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life in connection to a 2017 blast that injured 31 in New Ferry, England.