An elderly Wexford man and his son had a miraculous escape when a gas explosion and fire ripped through every room in their house.
John Kearns and his son Andrew, 42, were at their home, in the Clone area of Ferns, when the explosion took place at around 7.30am on Tuesday, December 13.
Andrew had been attempting to light a stove when the explosion happened. The force of the blast sent a window flying into a neighbour’s garden and it sparked a fire that spread throughout the entire house, destroying everything.
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The 91-year-old and his son managed to escape but Andrew was seriously injured, suffering severe burns to his arms.
Against the odds, John was "relatively unscathed" from the blast however, his house and all his belongings have been completely "ruined.
Speaking to the Enniscorthy Guardian shortly after the explosion, John's daughter Mary said: "The whole house is ruined. When I arrived, Daddy was sitting in somebody’s car waiting for an ambulance. He was like a zombie.
"The house is gutted. The fridge, microwave, the televisions, the shower, everything is ruined. You can see parts of the window in the ditch across the road. The force of the blast of the other window sent it into the neighbour’s garden."
She said all they have managed to salvage is some of John's clothes out of the wardrobe, which they are going to try and wash them for him.
Since the shocking incident, there has been an outpouring of support from the local community in Wexford.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page looking to raise €10,000 to help them "get back on their feet". The fundraiser has since raised €610.
The woman named Denise wrote: "I am fundraising for friends/work colleagues Martha and Mandy as their dad and brother lost their home and all their belongings due to a gas explosion on the 13th of December. Hoping to make enough money to get them back on their feet."
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