Kirklees Council leader pays tribute to man who died in Dewsbury explosion

Taxi driver Munir Hussain (circled) died in hospital last Wednesday on his 56th birthday after being seriously injured during the blast, in Ravensthorpe, which blew the house apart.

After a reported gas leak from a neighbour, father-of-six Mr Hussain was inspecting the house, on Crescent Walk, which belonged to his friend, who was in Pakistan unable to return home due to the coronavirus travel restrictions.

Mussarat Pervaiz, Dewsbury West councillor and a family friend, said Mr Hussain was a popular figure in the community.

She said: “It’s a real tragedy, he will be a real big loss to the family.

“I have known the family he was married into since I was a little girl.

“He came to the country more than 30 years ago to marry his wife.

“He was well-known in Dewsbury and everybody liked him.

“He was a really genuine guy, properly down to earth and he got on with everyone.”

Leader of Kirklees Council, Shabir Pandor said: “This is such a tragedy and my heart goes out to the friends and family of Mr Munir Hussain who died as a result of the explosion.

“The community has pulled together to provide support to everyone who has been affected in whatever way they can. As we are in lockdown I’d ask everyone to ensure they stay safe themselves and observe social distancing.

“I’d like to reassure the community we’re working with investigating teams to establish the cause of this extremely unfortunate incident and continue to provide support to neighbouring households to ensure their continued safety and wellbeing.”

A WYFRS spokeswoman said: “We were called to reports of an explosion at a property on Crescent Walk.”

West Yorkshire Police confirmed since the incident they “do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances at this stage”.

Anyone with information are asked to contact Kirklees CID on 101, referencing police log 401 of March 31 2020.