Swansea ‘gas’ explosion: I pulled a teen boy out of rubble after blast destroyed homes – he was screaming for his mum
A NEIGHBOUR who pulled a teenage boy out of the rubble after a suspected gas explosion said he was screaming for his mum moments after being rescued.
Christopher Yeoman, 55, helped save the young lad’s life this morning after a massive explosion flattened a home in Swansea, Wales.
More than 100 people were evacuated as emergency services rushed to the scene around 11.20am.
Cops have since said one person is unaccounted for and three have been taken to hospital.
Christopher, who lives three doors down from the blast, said the boy managed to crawl out of the rubble before alerting crowds to his trapped mum.
He said: “I saw the debris explode outward into the street even before I heard it, then I heard this massive bang.
“The house exploded and everything flew out into the road hitting the postman who was driving by and the flats opposite.
“Everything shook and all my pictures fell off the wall, and I was first most worried about my 95-year-old mother, who was downstairs.
“I ran into the street and we got a teenage boy who was in the debris out, and me and another neighbour ran in because we could hear a woman shouting from inside.
“When we got to her, she was hysterical and worried about her cat and dog, but we managed to find the puppy in the crate and get it out as well.
“We got them both to a bus that had stopped to help, because this was before the ambulance and police had turned up.
“They were both hysterical but seemed to calm down once they were together. My head is still totally mashed.”
The mum was thankfully brought out alive however, a man inside had life-threatening injuries.
He was flown to hospital by an air ambulance.
Another rescuer Steve Jones, 24, said: “It was like an earthquake had struck, there was just the entrance to just one of the houses left standing.
“I grabbed hold of the boy when he came out – he was about 17 and all he could say was that his mum was still in there.
“I went in along with four other men, all neighbours.
“There was nothing above our head, the roof, the bedrooms, everything was gone.”
Steve, who lives opposite, said his front windows were blown in by the horrific explosion.
The end terrace property is unrecognisable and rubble has been strewn all over the road.
It was declared a major incident.
South Wales Police said this morning: “Emergency services are continuing to work at the scene of an explosion on Clydach Road in Morriston that occurred around 11.20am this morning.
“Three people have been taken to hospital by ambulance. One person is currently unaccounted for, and work is ongoing to locate them.
“Two properties have been extensively damaged and other neighbouring properties have also been damaged.
“A rest centre has been set up by the local authority to support those affected.
“This is an ongoing incident so more detail will be provided when we have a clearer picture.
“A cordon remains in place and people are asked to avoid the area while the incident is ongoing.
“Clydach Road remains closed, and traffic is being diverted.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who have been affected by this morning’s incident and we would like to thank the community for their support whilst this incident is ongoing.”
Gas engineers attended to investigate – but the cause hasn’t been confirmed as a gas explosion yet.
