The brother of a man who died in a suspected gas explosion at his Wythenshawe home says he fears his 91-year-old sibling may have bought an appliance to 'help with the cold snap in anticipation of rising energy bills' - and that it may have sparked the blast.
Frank Burton's family watched on this morning (Friday) as fire crews surveyed the damage at the Brownley Road property following the disaster on Thursday night. Mr Burton was tragically found dead.
Police said there were reports of a 'gas explosion'. Specific details have not yet been confirmed.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News from the scene, Frank's brother Philip said he believed he may have bought an appliance to 'help with the cold snap in anticipation of rising energy bills'.
Follow live updates on this incident in our blog here
An appliance may have been left on and could have sparked the explosion, the Manchester Evening News understands, though this has not been confirmed by officials.
Cadent workers and fire officers remain at the scene and are carrying out investigations.
Paying tribute to his brother, Philip, 71, said: "He was a good character and a good guy."
Frank was a widower, having lost his wife Brenda a decade ago, his sibling said.
He added: "Frank was in the motor industry, he used to do body work and was highly skilled and respected. He was a dad-of-two.
"This is a chap who when he was working once went ballooning over the Grand Canyon. He was an occasional visitor to Las Vegas. I haven't been able to reach Frank for some time, he was deaf. He was deaf because he got blown out of bed during the War during The Blitz in Manchester."
Philip added: "The explosion is typical of gas. Whether that's mains gas, or if he had something in to help with the cold snap and anticipating rise in energy, he may have bought something."
The house remains cordoned off this morning as gas workers, fire officers and police remain at the scene. All three windows at the front of the house have been smashed, as well as the front door. Parts of the house appear to have been left charred by the smoke.
The cordon has been scaled down since last night, when many houses on the road were evacuated as smoke billowed from the house. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a 'huge' bang which 'shook their houses like an earthquake' as the house exploded.
The Manchester Evening News understands a major incident was declared, but that it was stood down after a short while.
