EXPLOSION RIPS ROOM APART (From Warrington Guardian)

EXPLOSION RIPS ROOM APART

REPORT

By JON COOPER

AN ELDERLY woman and three men narrowly escaped death when a massive cooker exploded and ripped a kitchen to pieces.

Muriel Lynch, 68, and her son Chris, 40, were blasted out of the kitchen at their home at Moss Farm, Station Road, Delamere, while two workmen were struck by huge pieces of debris.

The explosion was so powerful that windows were smashed throughout the house, a door was torn from its hinges, tiles were ripped from the walls, and a two-stone hot plate embedded itself in the ceiling.

Workmen had been refitting the kitchen when the blast flung Mrs Lynch eight-feet through the hallway and into an adjoining bathroom, and her son was blown into the porch.

Two family pet dogs, Trigger and Penny, were also in the kitchen at the time but escaped unscathed.

Firefighters treated gashes to Mrs Lynch's right leg and the back of her head, while others were treated for burns and facial injuries.

Muriel's husband Denis, 68, told the Guardian: "It is a miracle no-one was killed.

"A massive piece of metal slate just missed Muriel's head and she was left covered in blood and bruises, but still joked about how the explosion had ruined her new hair-do.

"The force of the blast burnt everyone and they were all hit by bits of flying debris and glass."

An ambulance rushed all four to the Countess of Chester Hospital for treatment - but all went home in the evening.

Painter Ian Andrews, 46, of Delamere, and carpenter Pete Wilkinson, 27, of Crewe, had been working in the kitchen and truck-driver Chris had just returned from work when the aga-style cooker exploded.

Chris told the Guardian: "There was dust and smoke everywhere and you couldn't see a thing, so we all called out to each other to make sure everyone had survived."

Muriel's husband Denis returned soon after and was relieved to realise that the fireguard he had installed to protect their grandchildren, had helped shield everyone from the blast.

Winsford firefighter Andrew Hurst added: "If it hadn't been for the fireguard in front of the cooker they could have all been killed.

"Mrs Lynch was very brave and calm about it all, and despite her injuries she seemed to take it all in her stride."

Firefighters stayed at the scene for more than two hours to make it safe and an investigation was launched to find the exact cause of the blast.

Denis, a retired farmer, added: "I think the pressure in the boiler at the back of the oven built up - and because there is no release valve on the old versions of these cookers it just built up and blew."

Mrs Lynch added: "All I remember is that there was a sudden bang and the next minute I was on the floor covered in cuts and blood."

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