A dad was thrown off his chair by an explosion that tore through a block of flats as he smoked a cigarette on his balcony. Adam Walker managed to escape with his partner and son when the blast hit his home Skelmersdale last month.
Five people managed to escape the building before the emergency services arrived, and one man attended hospital with non life-threatening burns. Adam, his partner Sophie Croft, 26, and their son Jaxon were among the families forced to evacuate their homes following the explosion.
The 32-year-old told the Liverpool Echo: "I was sat on the balcony when it happened, it threw me off my chair and I ran in grabbed Sophie, grabbed the baby and ran out. I can't explain what the feeling was. I was just sat there having a ciggy - it just went bang. The baby was in the living room, he was asleep - he woke up screaming."
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Photos show how the block of flats on Tanfields was completely blown apart. In one photo, seen by the Echo, a fridge freezer can be seen hanging from the wreckage along with a two seater sofa.
The two flats directly affected by the explosion will be demolished, the council has confirmed, and the people living in them remain in temporary accommodation. Others living in the block have chosen to stay with friends and family.
A letter was sent to residents in the area informing them of the demolition works and any implications this may have. But Adam said despite returning home since the explosion, his family no longer feel safe living there and have put a request in with the council to be moved.
"We were living in my mum's living room for two weeks," he said. "It's impacted everyone. Jaxon's not been back to school, he's not himself. He's not sleeping properly. It's affected me as well, I've started being late for work and that's not like me. I'm not sleeping properly."
Lancashire Police are still investigating the cause of the explosion. A 40-year-old man from Skelmersdale who was arrested on suspicion of producing a controlled drug has since been released on bail until June 20. A 29-year-old man from Darlington who was arrested on suspicion of production of a class B drug and causing an explosive substance likely to endanger life or cause serious injury has been bailed until June 16.
A spokesperson from West Lancashire Borough Council said: "Following the explosion in Tanfields, Skelmersdale, the Council has been working closely with effected residents. We can confirm that residents from the two flats directly affected by the incident have been offered temporary accommodation, which some residents have taken up whilst others are staying with family and friends.
"We have been in regular contact with the displaced residents to provide assistance and updates. We have also written to the wider community to advise them of the need to demolish the two flats, the timescales involved and any health and safety implications in addition to impacts this work may have on access and parking around the site.
"Although the property in question is not located in either of the affected blocks, I can confirm that we have sought advice from our structural engineer who has confirmed that there is no residual risk that would necessitate the occupiers to move out of the property.
"We will give due consideration to any application for housing in accordance with the Council's Allocations Policy, taking any supporting evidence into account."
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