Investigation under way after children seriously injured in house explosion in Neath
Written by News on 25/06/2020
Three people have been seriously injured after an explosion at a house in south Wales.
Emergency services responded to reports of an explosion in Seven Sisters, near Neath, on Wednesday afternoon.
According to South Wales Police, a 31-year-old woman and two boys, aged four and five, were injured in the incident.
Pictures from the scene show a terraced property completely destroyed, with rubble and debris strewn across the street.
The injured woman was taken by ambulance to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, while the two boys were airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where they remained on Thursday morning.
Police have described their injuries as serious, adding that the cause of the explosion is being investigated.
As a result of the incident, around 14 nearby properties were evacuated, with Neath Port Talbot Council opening a rest centre for those affected.
A witness, 24-year-old Kirsten Williams, said she was just down the road in her mother and father-in-law’s garden, when she heard the explosion.
She said: “The conservatory shook. A massive bang.
“My mother-in-law suggested a car crash or a lorry. I said no, that’s an explosion.
“My father-in-law rushed up the drive and saw people running across the road and called us up.
“I grabbed my 17-month-old son and off we went to see. What shook me the most was a small baby teddy bear was there laying on top of a car roof.”
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
A police spokeswoman said: “South Wales Police received numerous reports of an explosion at a property in Church Road, Seven Sisters, on Wednesday at 2.05pm.
“A number of properties and vehicles in the street have been damaged and the area has been evacuated.
“Three people, one adult and two children, have been injured in the incident.
“We remain at scene with emergency service colleagues and ask people to continue to avoid the area at this time.”
The Welsh Ambulance Service said that five emergency vehicles attended the scene, along with an air ambulance.
A spokesman said: “We were called on Wednesday 24 June at approximately 14.05pm to reports of an explosion in a residential area of Seven Sisters near Neath.
“We responded with five vehicles of the Hazardous Area Response Team, one rapid response vehicle, two emergency ambulances and one specialised medical team and we received the support of the Wales Air Ambulance.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Investigation under way after children seriously injured in house explosion in Neath
