Five have lucky escape in gas explosion

FIVE people were lucky to escape with their lives yesterday after an explosion which destroyed a house in Blackrock in Dublin.

The property was empty at the time and emergency services believe the explosion may have been caused by a gas leak.

Four units of the Dublin Fire Brigade and three ambulances attended the scene at Blackrock in south Co Dublin at around 1.30pm yesterday.

A spokesperson for the Dublin Fire Brigade said it was extremely lucky that nobody was killed in the explosion.

“The front of the house was completely blown out. It was fairly serious. I’d say they were lucky, very, very lucky that they weren’t killed,” he said.

Bord Gáis’s emergency response crew was at the scene, but was unable to gain access to the building due to structural concerns.

As a safety precaution, Bord Gáis has isolated the supply of gas to the affected house and neighbouring properties damaged in the explosion.

“The cause of the explosion is not known at this stage. Bord Gáis is assisting the emergency services in investigating the cause; however, the local authority is currently establishing the means necessary to make the buildings safe in order to allow detailed examination of the scene,” a statement read.

Those injured in the explosion included an elderly neighbour, a motorist and three passers-by.

It is thought that at least one of the injured was walking by the house at the time of the explosion while another was driving.

Gardaí said their injuries were not life-threatening, but they were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.

A number of cars parked along the street were also damaged while nearby properties and shops had their windows blown out.

Green Party Councillor for Blackrock Ruairí Holohan said it was a miracle no one was injured in the blast and urged householders to check and maintain their gas boilers.

“We don’t yet know how the injured are doing but it’s a miracle that there weren’t more people hospitalised, particularly as the explosion happened at lunchtime. It’s a lucky thing that the house was vacant at the time,” he said.