A gas explosion destroyed a terraced house in a Cornish seaside town last night with a bed left hanging outside.
Three people – two men and a woman – were taken to hospital after the blast in Traly Close, Bude, Cornwall, and only suffered from shock and minor injuries.
One of the trio inside the home as it exploded described it as ‘like a bomb’ going off, saying: ‘I thought I was dead.’
Darren Cornish, 48, said: ‘The house is ready to fall to bits. It was really scary. I saw my life flash before before my eyes. I thought I was dead, I really thought I had died.’
Fire and police rescue teams said it was ‘a miracle’ nobody was killed when the end-of-terrace ‘virtually blew up’.
The explosion rocked other homes in the street just after 9pm last night when families were tucked up indoors, sheltering from Storm Christoph raging outside.
Glenn Thorne, Wales & West Utilities Gas Emergency Service Manager for Bude, said the cause of the explosion is still being determined but it is not believed to be related to the mains gas network.
Dramatic images show the house in Traly Close, Bude, Cornwall, which was left destroyed with a bed hanging outside after a gas explosion at around 9pm last night
A side view of the devastated home in a Cornish seaside town. Three people – two men and a woman – were taken to hospital and escaped with no serious injuries
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service arrived to find the bed and other furniture hanging from the devastated house, for which the damage bill will run into tens of thousands of pounds.
There were reports of a strong smell of gas in the area as fire teams from Bude and Holsworthy, backed up by specialist shoring equipment, tried to stop the two-storey house collapsing completely.
A fire spokesman said: ‘On crews arrival they confirmed that there were no casualties trapped within the damaged structure and the incident was sectorised.
‘Crews remained on scene until the property had been assessed by a structural surveyor. The incident was left in the hands of police.’
Neighbours were evacuated as the smell of gas persisted, and were found emergency accommodation for the night.
Ms Thorne told Cornwall Live: ‘On arrival we found that the property had been damaged and emergency services were in control of the scene.
‘We worked with the emergency services to make the area safe and carried out all necessary gas safety checks. We have found no evidence of a mains gas leak in the area and the property itself was not connected to our gas network.
‘The cause of the explosion is still being investigated by the emergency services, however, we do not believe it is related to the mains gas network.’
Rubble and other furniture can be seen hanging outside the house in Cornwall. The cause of the explosion is not believed to be related to the mains gas network
Devon and Cornwall Police said this morning: ‘Police were called at 9pm yesterday evening, Wednesday 20th January, with a report that a gas explosion had occurred inside a residential property on Traly Close, Bude, resulting in the partial destruction of the property, an end of terrace house.
‘The fire service, ambulance service, and a structural engineer attended. Three occupants, two men and a woman, were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
‘The next door residents were evacuated. All those affected have found alternative accommodation. The house remains cordoned off this morning.’
A spokesman for Bude Community Fire Station added: ‘Shortly after 9pm on Wednesday, we received multiple calls to a serious incident involving a gas explosion at a property in Bude, with people potentially trapped inside.
‘Thankfully on arrival it was quickly established that all persons were accounted for, and remarkably, there were no serious injuries – those involved were left in the care of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust crews.
‘Due to the instability of the dangerous structure, a strict cordon was put until place, the gas and electricity supplies were isolated and the nearby properties were evacuated.
‘Fire crews and officers from Bude Police monitored the building closely whilst a structural engineer carried out checks. Once it was deemed that there was no further risk of danger, our crews left the scene shortly after midnight, and the incident was handed over to the police and gas safety engineers.’