It’s a miracle we survived when our house exploded
Family members tell of lucky escape from devastating series of explosions
A FAMILY who had an ‘extremely lucky’ escape when their house suddenly exploded on New Year’s Day admitted: ‘It was a miracle we survived.’
Michael McCormick, 52, his 45-year-old wife, Montse, and their son Mark, 19, were ‘seconds away’ from death when a series of massive blasts decimated their home in Whale Island Way, Stamshaw, just after midday.
The incident saw the residential road closed off as firefighters from six stations and a Hazardous Area Response Team, police and paramedics raced to the under siege location.
The family, who have been put up in a nearby Travelodge, have been left struggling to come to terms with the incident after being left homeless and with ‘absolutely nothing’ after fleeing in their pyjamas having enjoyed a leisurely morning after New Year’s Eve.
But Michael told The News they were just glad to be alive and appreciative of all the support they had received following the suspected gas explosions that reduced much of their house into rubble.
Around £2,500 has been raised for them in one fundraiser alone.
‘We are all shook up and are not sleeping well,’ he said. ‘It’s only just starting to sink in what happened.
‘It’s very emotional and you think of “what if ”. We are extremely lucky we survived — so many other things could have gone wrong.
‘We all got out and not long after we got out the whole place was ablaze.’
Quick-thinking Michael, who was downstairs playing on a PlayStation, first realised something was not right after noticing a ‘fragrant smell’ while Montse and Mark were upstairs.
‘We were lazing around after New Year’s Eve when I noticed a weird smell that was not recognisable — a bit like a fragrance candle — that was getting stronger,’ Michael said.
‘Then all of a sudden I felt a thump in the middle of my back — it felt like someone had pushed me very hard.
‘I felt a hot wave come past me and the front window smashed with the TV ending up on the other side of the road — it was lucky no one was stood in the street.
‘I tried not to panic and shouted up to them to come downstairs... we had seconds to get out. We climbed out the front window because the door was bent in half.
‘My hair and beard were singed from the fire and I had a sprained ankle. We were very lucky to survive.’
Mark had been sleeping upstairs while Monste was getting ready for work when the commotion erupted – leaving them fleeing barefooted. ‘I woke up and instantly knew something was wrong,’ Mark said.
‘Something had fallen over and I remember shouting but I couldn’t hear myself because of the explosions and fire.
‘The wall blew up and was collapsing on me and there were flames rising up. My mum was in the doorway...we ran downstairs and got out through the window.
‘When we were outside we could see the fire spreading rapidly and more explosions. It’s a miracle we got out.’
We are extremely lucky we survived — so many other things could have gone wrong. Michael McCormick