It caused a power cut for more than 4,000 properties in the area.

Workmen at the site drilled through a high-voltage power cable, causing the massive blast. The site was sealed off shortly afterwards.

An eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said the incident happened shortly before noon.

He said: “There was a massive explosion with debris and shrapnel scattered around. There was this almighty noise and a ball of flame and smoke. It was a huge noise and I saw the fire well above the 8ft fence.

“I was only 25 yards away talking to a neighbour and we jumped at the noise. It was like a mortar shell in the back garden.”

Residents of Lingen Close, Castlefields, reported hearing a loud bang and one man said the blast made two pictures fall off his wall.

Persimmon Homes is developing the derelict site for housing. Land director Andy Sheldon said: “Contractors working on behalf of Persimmon Homes have damaged an electric cable with a drilling rig.

“Persimmon Homes had made the contractors aware of the cables on site. We will undertake a full assessment of the incident on site.”

Central Networks spokesman Jamie Majid said engineers from the power company were on site soon after the incident trying to isolate the problem.

“It was third party high voltage cable damage which occurred at 11.25am and it affected 4,081 people.”

Mr Majid said customers were being switched to other parts of the network to get their power restored as quickly as possible.

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