MAN DIES IN EXPLOSION AT HOUSE:
AMAN has died following an explosion at a property in Pontypool. The explosion happened in the garage of a house on the residential Coed Camlas estate.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene after police were called at 11.10am yesterday.
Gwent Police said the cause of the man’s death is currently unknown and will be determined following a post mortem.
A spokeswoman said it was too early to confirm whether the death was suspicious.
The road was cordoned off amid “significant damage” to the house.
The police spokeswoman said: “Formal identification has yet to take place, and the owners of the property will be supported by specialist officers.”
Emergency services including South Wales Fire and Rescue and Service and the Welsh Ambulance Service remained at the scene yesterday afternoon.
Steve Williams, Wales & West Utilities gas emergency service manager for Pontypool, said the explosion was not gas related.
A couple, who did not want to be named, said their “whole house shook” from the blast.
They said: “It sounded like a bomb had gone off.
“We’ve never heard anything like it, the whole house shook.
“It was just horrible. Then there were sounds like fireworks going off.
“We came down and ran out, and we could see there was no door on the garage, most of it had gone across the road.”
They described seeing “billowing black smoke” coming from the building.
Another nearby eyewitness said: “I was stood in my house and there was this almighty bang. The whole house shook and we saw this massive plume of smoke and somebody screaming.
“People came out to see what was happening and the emergency services were here in about five minutes.
“There was lots of popping sounds too, like canisters going off.”