Neighbours’ shock as vehicle explodes

NEIGHBOURS have described witnessing a car explode while it was parked on a driveway in a Cardiff suburb.

Emergency ervices responded to reports of a fire in St Mellons in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Police and fire crews are investigating the cause of the incident, suspected to be the result of an electrical fault.

Residents of Cwrt Pentre Bach, in St Mellons, were woken by what sounded like a “gunshot” coming from a house across the road.

Lauren Donovan ran into her bathroom to get a better look at the street.

“There were four loud bangs and the first one sounded like a gun shot,” the 20-year-old said.

“Then another three times “They sounded like big fireworks.” Lauren went to wake her mother and it happened. father when she realised a neighbour’s car was on fire.

“I woke my mum up and she got out of bed and my dad had already walked around to see what was going on,” Miss Donovan said.

“The state on the car is horrendous,” she added. “It was a Mercedes and the whole thing has been burnt out.”

The explosions caused damage to the roof and door of their neighbour’s garage on Vaindre Drive, and the car was completely destroyed.

All residents of the house were out at the time of the incident.

South Wales Fire service believe the incident was caused by an electrical fault with the vehicle.

Police are not treating the incident as suspicious.