Couple escape domestic explosion

A COUPLE miraculously escaped without injury when an explosion demolished the garage of their two-storey home on the outskirts of Limerick City yesterday morning.

The couple, Sandy and Sheila Bird of Fairyfield, Parteen, Co Clare, were awakened from their sleep by the loud explosion. “We’re lucky to be alive,” said Mr Bird.

“I thought a plane hit the house and the alarms went off in the cars. We did not know what the hell happened,” he added.

When the couple got up to see what happened, they found the garage was completely demolished.

Neighbours in the housing estate, too, were awakened by the loud bang,

“It was the biggest explosion I heard in my life as I was about to go out to work around 7.40pm,” said a neighbour.

“All the alarms in the houses went off and debris from the explosion was scattered over a wide area. I have no idea what caused the explosion. Luckily no one was injured,” he added.

Limerick Fire Brigade and gardaí were quickly on the scene as neighbours gathered to offer the Bird family support. The fire brigade and gardaí, who are investigating the cause of the explosion, believe it may have been caused by a gas leak from a propane cylinder in the garage.

“The family was asleep at the time and part of the roof of the garage was blown onto the roadway. The couple in the house which was also slightly damaged had a lucky escape,” said a fire brigade spokesman.