Call for sensors to find people trapped in buildings

A relative of a 59-year-old businessman, killed in a suspected gas explosion, has called for sensors to be made available to emergency services to check if a trapped person is alive inside a building.

James Gleeson died when a massive blast demolished his launderette in the centre of Killarney, Co Kerry, just as he arrived for work at the weekend.

The explosion occurred at 6.20am at Brewery Lane, but a search of a mound of debris and the scene did not start until around 2pm, leading to local disquiet about the delay.