Teen girl pulled from rubble after explosion at house leaves man seriously injured
A TEEN girl had to be pulled from rubble today after a house explosion left a man seriously injured.
The man was airlifted to hospital after suffering major trauma in the blast in Burnley, Lancs., just after midday.
Sarah Jones, 19, who lives opposite the end-of-terrace house, was at home when she heard a huge bang.
She then described hearing scraping noises, which she now believes were the windows coming off the property.
Sarah told the PA news agency: “I came out and I just saw black smoke everywhere.
“I know the family who live there well and when I came outside their relatives were there.
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“I asked if anyone was in there and they said the girl was. She’s 17.”
Sarah said the neighbours got a ladder and climbed up to the top two windows before realising the girl wasn’t upstairs.
She had been in the front room and had crashed through the floor into the cellar.
Sarah said: “She was covered in rubble and her relative had to pull her out from under everything.
“We brought her across to my house and she said she didn’t think she was injured, she was more worried about how her mum was going to react.
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“She is very, very lucky.”
Lisa Gorton, 42, added: “I was just stood there and I heard a big bang like if you’re watching a movie or you see a building being knocked down.
“I saw all black smoke and the windows went through and everyone came running out.
“I rang the fire brigade. Everyone was trying to help.”
Local councillor Sarah Hall, who was at the scene to support residents, said the blast was thought to be a gas explosion.
Andy Fewings, also a councillor, said ten houses had been evacuated and residents were being told to go to St Matthew’s Church on Albion Street.
A search and rescue team could be seen on the street on Monday , along with a number of fire crews, police, and gas and electricity vans.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have three fire engines and our urban search and rescue team at the scene.
“We’re working with the other emergency services, local authorities and utilities companies to make the scene safe and assess the structure of the property.
“Firefighters at the scene are now using an aerial ladder platform to make the structure of the house safe by removing coping stones from gable end.”
Emergency gas service Cadent said it was too early to determine the cause of the blast.
A spokesperson said: “There is a multi-agency response to the incident in Sefton Terrace, Burnley, and our teams are assisting as Lancashire’s gas emergency service.
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“We will make sure everything associated with gas is safe.
“It is too early to speculate on the cause. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted.”
