House blast miracle
Mother and two children pulled from rubble by team of brave neighbours
A MOTHER was miraculously saved by her fridge when an explosion destroyed her home.
Jess Williams, 31, was protected by the appliance as rubble rained down. Her children Reuben, aged five, and Elliot, four, suffered serious injuries in the blast.
Miss Williams was pulled to safety by ex-fireman Jeff Davies and five other neighbours, who used a ceiling joist to lift the fridge and free her.
She managed to walk 150ft to an ambulance after the explosion on Wednesday. Reuben and Elliot were freed by up to a dozen other neighbours before emergency services arrived at the mid-terrace property in Seven Sisters, near Neath, South Wales.
The children were airlifted to Bristol’s Southmead Hospital while Miss Williams was taken to Swansea’s Morriston Hospital by road. All three were in a critical but stable condition yesterday, as a pile of debris where their home once stood illustrated their remarkable escape.
Mr Davies, 50, said: ‘The house was completely collapsed. She [Miss Williams] was injured herself and very concerned for her children.
‘What saved her was a large fridgefreezer that had been blown alongside her – there was a slight void to the side of that where she was lying. It was a case of just removing the rubble from around her and pulling her out. Such a brave young lady.’ The children’s father, Mike David, 33, was at work when the blast – the cause of which is still being investigated – ripped through the house. Next- door neighbour Susan Morgan, 73, said: ‘They are a lovely, lovely family. This is so sad for them but we are just glad they are alive. I saw Reuben after and you have never seen anyone shaking so much.’ Mrs Morgan was visiting friends when the explosion rocked the closeknit street. She added: ‘I can’t go back into my house. The roof is leaning forward so it is not safe – I’ve got no idea what is going to happen.’
Retired fireman Mr Davies, who also lives on the street, said the rescue was a ‘great community team effort’. He added: ‘Normally the wise thing would be to stand back and watch and let others come, but when you hear people and know there’s people in the building, your natural instinct is to help.’
Neath Port Talbot council leader Rob Jones thanked the emergency services for their swift response and said the council ‘stands ready to offer whatever support is required’.