A dad who lives next door to a house that exploded in Birmingham has told how a well-timed toilet break "saved his life" from the fatal blast.
Residents on Dulwich Road, Kingstanding, have described the terrifying moment houses shook and ceilings came crashing down during a gas explosion last night.
A woman died and a man was left fighting for his life after a house was consumed by fire at around 8:30pm.
Lami Charlery had been playing on his computer in his living room but nipped to the bathroom when the massive explosion brought his lounge ceiling crashing down - right in the spot where he had just been sitting.
Mr Charlery, 40, said: “The ceiling came down and the glass came in. If I was in any other room I wouldn’t be alive. I’m lucky to be alive.
“There was a big explosion. I was holding onto the door and fell back.
"I didn’t know what was going on. The ceiling had come through.
"I ran outside and heard someone out the back shouting ‘help’.
"There was about 10 to 15 of us. When we went to help him, we could hear it (the fire sizzling).”
Mr Charlery said people helped to get the injured man out of the exploded house when emergency services arrived.
The dad-of-two, who was home alone, said he was thankful to the local community for helping the six families who were evacuated to find somewhere to sleep for the night.
The families - including four children - were put up for the night by kind staff at The Kingstanding Inn.
Mr Charlery said: “I’m still in shock at the moment.
"I lose breath. I’m not in the right place right now.
"Everyone has been so kind, very nice people to help us. It takes something like this for you to know that everyone cares.”
A next door neighbour, who asked not to be named, described hearing two loud bangs before his ceiling fell through and landed on his living room floor in front of him.
He said: "There were two explosions - an initial blowout and then a massive explosion.
"My ceiling folded and landed in my front room next to me. I'm then sat there looking up at the sky.
"I've just got a few scratches and managed to get myself out."
Mark Pearman, 49, described the dramatic moments before emergency services arrived as around 30 people rushed to help rescue a man heard screaming inside.
Mr Pearman said: "We heard a massive blast and our bodies shook.
"Blankets of smoke covered the street. There was a pile of rubble where the house should have been and massive flames.
"About 30 young people rushed to help.
"One group were at the front, the other went around to the back. We formed a human chain and passed each other rubble piece by piece.
"A few of the young lads held a wooden beam up and a woman, a resident, who is a sports physio, pulled the man out.
"They put him on a mattress which had blown out from the house and the emergency services arrived."
Mark, his partner Sue, and their dog were among the families forced to flee their homes overnight.
Sue, 48, said: "I was actually in bed and I heard this almighty bang and the whole house shook.
"Before you knew it we were out the house and the house three doors away was on fire. [The pub] has helped out a lot of families who would have had no where to stay last night."
