The Mail on Sunday

Family escape as explosion wrecks home

- By Holly Bancroft

A FAMILY of three escaped their blazing home only moments before it collapsed yesterday following an explosion that shook the neighbourh­ood ‘like an earthquake’.

Neighbours described how a couple and their adult son ran from their semi-detached house in Illingwort­h, West Yorkshire, just seconds before it was engulfed in a fireball, reducing it to rubble

The family, named locally as Liam and Gwen McCloughli­n, both in their 50s, and son Jack, who is in his 20s, were taken to hospital on Saturday morning for checks.

Dramatic videos posted online show a huge wall of fire swallowing the property following the explosion, which was heard three miles away.

Neighbour Candice Nevison, 37, said she watched one of the family members jump out of a window to flee the house at 7.45am. She said: ‘It sounded like there was a massive bang and it felt like something had fallen on my head. The impact was just so extreme I thought my own house was collapsing. I saw people running out of the house. I saw one person jump out the window while another person carried an older lady over her shoulder.’

Neighbour Tony McElroy, 73, said he was awakened by the blast.

Speaking about t he f amily’s escape, he said: ‘Thankfully they were out of the house when it all collapsed. It was terrifying. I heard a loud bang and thud and when I opened the curtains I had debris flying at me. It all collapsed so fast it was a matter of seconds.’

People living nearby likened the deafening blast to an earthquake, with one tweeting: ‘I am only halfawake but either something just exploded nearby or we had an earthquake.’ One man said he got a phone call from his mother, about a mile from the explosion, adding: ‘ She heard a huge bang l i ke an explosion… It was heard and felt in Denholme, more than three miles away.’

Neighbours have banded together to help the family, including setting up a fundraisin­g page to collect donations from well-wishers.

Residents in six surroundin­g houses were evacuated as a safety precaution, including a 98-year-old, according to locals.

A West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said yesterday: ‘Crews are dealing with any remaining pockets of fire which are being extinguish­ed should they appear. Firefighte­rs are likely to be on the scene for some time.

‘ Investigat­ions are continuing into the cause of the explosion.’

Engineers from the local gas company also attended the scene.

 ??  ?? AFTERMATH: Firefighte­rs on the scene as flames lap the rubble yesterday
AFTERMATH: Firefighte­rs on the scene as flames lap the rubble yesterday

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