The father of a 14-year-old boy who was pulled from the rubble of their house after an explosion in Swansea has spoken for the first time. Ethan Bennett and his mum Claire were at home when the blast happened near their Morriston home.
The teenager was in the attic room and had to be pulled from what had been the roof of the building by a neighbour in the aftermath of the blast at 11.20am on Monday. Follow our live updates from the scene here. His dad Anthony said that his son was very shaken up but "alive" as he returned to the scene on Tuesday morning.
He told BBC Wales: "Ethan just remembers the explosion going and him being thrown up against the ceiling and hitting [it]. Next thing he knows he seems to be outside. Not sure if he lost consciousness or not. Part of the roof was under him and part of the roof was on top of him.
"The guy who lives a couple of doors down ran across to check on Claire and then he dragged Ethan out. He carried Ethan off the roof to get him out. "
Anthony said his wife was still in hospital with six broken ribs and a "nasty gash" to her head, but Ethan had been discharged on Monday night. "My wife is OK, in a lot of pain, but she is OK. Ethan was discharged last night. He is very shook up and mentally he is struggling to cope, but he is alive," his dad said.
Formal identification of the man who died in the explosion is expected to be carried out later today, police said on Tuesday morning. Read the latest police statement here.
Sioned Williams, Member of the Senedd for the South Wales West region, said the man had been described locally as "very well liked" and "such a friendly person".
"He apparently used to sit outside on the step and talk to people in the street. A lot of people knew him and liked him, and are deeply, deeply concerned for him," the Plaid Cymru politician said. Andy Williams, who has lived on the street for 25 years, became emotional saying: "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."
An investigation is underway to establish the cause of the incident. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed. Teams of gas engineers have been on the scene since Monday afternoon but the cause is yet to be determined.
Police have said that two properties were extensively damaged and other neighbouring properties were also damaged. Last night, the number of households unable to return home due to structural damage, roads being blocked by debris and concerns over the safety of the gas main was reduced from over 200 to less than 30.
Donations have been pouring in to the local community for families who have been affected by the blast.
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