Swansea explosion: Body recovered from scene of Morriston house blast
The body of a man has been recovered from the scene of a suspected gas explosion in Swansea, police said.
Emergency services were called at just after 11.20am on Monday to an explosion at an address on the junction of Clydach Road and Field Close in Morriston.
The man had previously been unaccounted for and his family have now been informed, according to South Wales Police.
Emergency responders remain on the scene after being called at 11.20am and local authorities have set up a rest centre for affected residents.
Local councillor Ceri Evans said the residents were “shocked” and felt “in limbo” as they waited to return to their homes, several of which suffered damage in the blast.
Wales & West Utilities, which operates the gas network across Wales and parts of South West England, said it had sent engineers to Morriston to investigate, noting that the cause of the blast was not yet known.
Police said a cordon remains in place and the public should avoid the area. “Clydach Road remains closed and traffic is being diverted,” a spokesperson added.
Key Points
One missing and three in hospital after Swansea blast
Gas grid operators searching for cause of explosion
Blast shook houses miles from Morriston, say locals
Body of man recovered from scene of explosion in Swansea
19:54 , Sam Rkaina
The body of a man has been recovered from the scene of a suspected gas explosion in Swansea, police said.
Emergency services were called at just after 11.20am on Monday to an explosion at an address on the junction of Clydach Road and Field Close in Morriston.
The man had previously been unaccounted for and his family have now been informed, according to South Wales Police.
Three other people were taken to hospital after the blast, with images from the scene showing one house collapsed and another badly damaged.
The force said other neighbouring properties were also damaged by the explosion, which shook houses miles from the scene and left debris strewn across the surrounding area.
Superintendent Steve Jones said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has lost his life and those affected by this tragic incident. We are doing everything possible to reduce the impact on the wider community and allow access to homes as quickly as possible where it is safe to do so.
“I would like to thank the community for the patience and support during what is a challenging incident.”
Suspected gas explosion in Swansea sparks major incident
14:05 , Liam James
A major incident has been declared after a suspected gas explosion at a house in Swansea.
South Wales Police and the Welsh Ambulance Service were called at just after 11.20am to reports of an explosion at an address on the junction of Clydach Road and Field Close in Morriston.
Images circulating on social media appear to show a collapsed building with debris strewn into the street.
Police order public to avoid the area of gas explosion
14:16 , Liam James
Police have asked the public to avoid the area around a suspected gas explosion in a Swansea suburb.
Officers were called to the site of the blast on the junction of Clydach Road and Field Close in Morriston at 11.20am.
At 11.43 South Wales Police put out a tweet with the tag “#AVOIDTHEAREA”.
The force added: “Emergency services are responding to an incident on the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road in Morriston. Please avoid the area whilst we deal with the incident.”
Gas grid operators searching for cause of Swansea explosion
14:29 , Liam James
A utilities company serving a house in Swansea that was destroyed by a suspected gas explosion earlier said it was searching for the cause of the blast.
Wales & West Utilities, which operates the gas network across Wales and parts of South West England, said it had sent engineers to the property in the Morriston area to investigate.
A spokesperson for the firm said: “We were called to reports of an explosion at a property in the Clydach Road area of Swansea this morning and immediately sent a team of engineers.
“On arrival, we found that there had been severe structural damage to the property and the emergency services were in control of the scene. We are now working with them to make the area safe – as we do on all incidents of this nature.
“We do not yet know the cause of the explosion and our engineers will continue to support the emergency services as they carry out their work.”
Blast shook houses miles from Morriston, say locals
14:43 , Liam James
The explosion caused by a suspected gas explosion at a property in Swansea shook houses miles from the scene, according to local residents
Ioan Humphreys lives eight miles away in Rhos, Pontardaw, and had just started a Microsoft Teams meeting when he heard the bang.
“The house next door to me is having lots of building work done, so initially I thought it was a massive skip being delivered and dropped on their drive – it felt that close,” the 48-year-old Swansea University research officer told the PA news agency.
Abbie, a 26-year-old who did not wish to share her second name and lives half a mile from the scene, said the explosion sounded like a car had crashed into her home.
“I was working when we heard a huge bang, it sounded like a car had crashed into our garage and the impact shook the house,” she told PA.
One missing and three in hospital after explosion at Swansea home
15:04 , Liam James
One person is missing and three have been taken to hospital after a suspected gas explosion in a Swansea suburb left two properties in ruins and damaged neighbouring houses.
South Wales Police were searching for the individual they said was “unaccounted for” after the blast on Clydach Road and Field Close in Morriston.
Emergency responders remain on the scene after being called at 11.20am and local authorities have set up a rest centre for affected residents.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain is following this story:
Major incident declared in Swansea after ‘gas explosion’ rips through home
Before and after photos from Swansea blast show extent of damage
15:20 , Liam James
Before and after pictures of the properties affected by the blast in Swansea show the extent of damage.
Police said two properties on Clydach Road by Field Close in Morriston were “extensively damaged” while neighbouring properties were also hit.
Neighbours say scene of Swansea blast ‘like a warzone’
15:46 , Liam James
Neighbours told the BBC of the moment they heard the blast on Clydach Road in Swansea.
Pamela Christine Evans said the blast felt like a bomb. “It’s like a warzone, it’s unbelievable down there. Windows have been smashed, doors have been blown out,” she said.
Mum-of-four Kakuli Khatun said she was making tea for her husband when her dining room window smashed.
The 36-year-old said: “I thought it was inside the house. I just took my youngest son and ran.
“I went out the house and and saw the damage. It’s terrible.”
Rubble lines streets of Swansea suburb: Latest photos from Morriston blast
16:06 , Liam James
Pictures are coming through showing the aftermath of a suspected gas explosion at a house in Swansea.
Boy was pulled from rubble of Swansea explosion, residents claim
16:27 , Liam James
Neighbours pulled a teenage boy from the rubble of the houses destroyed in the Swansea explosion, according to residents.
Christopher Yeoman, 55, who said he lives three doors down from the blast on Clydach Road in Morriston, said he helped rescue a teenage boy and his mother at the scene.
After hearing the suspected gas explosion, Mr Yeoman told PA, he “ran into the street and we got a teenage boy who was in the debris out, and me and another neighbour ran in because we could hear a woman shouting from inside.
“When we got to her, she was hysterical and worried about her cat and dog but we managed to find the puppy in the crate and get it out as well.
“We got them both to a bus that had stopped to help, because this was before the ambulance and police had turned up.
“They were both hysterical but seemed to calm down once they were together.
“My head is still totally mashed.”
Fellow resident Marjorie Lewis said she also saw a boy in the rubble.
Drone footage shows aftermath of Swansea explosion
17:05 , Liam James
Independent TV has drone footage from the scene of the blast in Morriston:
Drone footage shows aftermath of Swansea explosion
Around 100 residents evacuated after Swansea blast
17:20 , Liam James
Some 100 residents living near the site of a suspected gas explosion in Swansea have been evacuated, a local councillor said.
Ceri Evans, who represents the affected suburb of Morriston on Swansea Council, said residents were “in a bit of limbo” as they waited in a rest centre set up by officials.
“Speaking to residents, they are obviously in a bit of limbo because they are shocked, but they are also uncertain about when they can return to their properties.”
He said: “Shock is the word as it is not something that happens anywhere very often.
“I live about a mile from the property and I knew it had happened because I felt it myself.
“I’m just leaving the community centre we’ve set up for residents at the minute.
“Speaking to residents, they are obviously in a bit of limbo because they are shocked, but they are also uncertain about when they can return to their properties.”
Councillor Evans said some of the residents evacuated were vulnerable and were being assisted by the British Red Cross.
Brian Davies named locally as one of men affectd by Swansea blast
18:30 , Liam James
One of the people affected in the Swansea explosion has been named locally as Brian Davies.
Police said one person was missing and three people were taken to hospital after the suspected explosion destroyed two houses and damaged several others in the Morriston area.
Andy Williams, who has lived on the street for 25 years, said his house had been badly damaged in the explosion.
“My house is damaged but I don’t really care about that, I’m just glad my neighbours got out,” he said.
Mr Williams said he knew Mr Davies well and that he had lived on the street for around two years.
Becoming emotional, Mr Williams said: “He’s only lived here for a couple of years but I knew him well.
“He’s just a nice guy, a lovely guy, he’s always outside chatting. He’s an angel and I just hope to god he’s alright.”
Update: One missing and three in hospital as huge blast tears through homes
19:15 , Liam James
A huge explosion which rocked homes miles from the site of the blast has left two houses in ruins, with one person missing and three hospitalised (Andy Gregory writes).
A major incident has been declared and the Red Cross deployed to the scene of the suspected gas explosion in Swansea, with a neighbour said to have rescued a teenage boy and his mother from the rubble.
Debris was witnessed exploding into the street and striking the flats opposite on the junction of Clydach Road and Field Close in the Morriston area at 11.20am, with a number of properties said by South Wales Police to have been damaged in the blast.
Emergency services and engineers are working to make the area safe and locate the missing individual, and a police officer who refused to let residents past a newly-established cordon warned: “We’re still not out of the woods with the gas. We’re not safe from another explosion.”
As many as 120 residents in 30 properties have been evacuated, and an emergency centre for residents has been set up in the nearby Morriston Memorial Hall, with many gathering in the Red Lion pub.
One person missing and three in hospital after house destroyed in huge explosion
