Fire leads to explosion

Gas bottles in the shed caught fire

There has been an explosion at a private housing estate in Guernsey.

The blast occurred at about 1045 BST on Thursday after a shed at Landes du Marche containing gas bottles caught fire.

The shed was destroyed by fire and nearby properties suffered window and building damage from the explosion.

Paramedics attended the scene but no one was injured. The fire brigade brought the incident under control.

'Hissing sound'

Police closed the road at the junction between Camp du Roi and Landes du Marche. It has since been reopened.

Eugene Hughes was working in his garden nearby when the explosion happened.

He said: "There was this hissing sound and I saw this black smoke.

"After that, there was this mighty explosion and there were orange flames about 40 feet (12 metres) high which spread like sheet lightning right across the shed.

"Five minutes after that, there was another hissing sound and a further explosion.

"Some of the debris came over the top of a hedge and just clattered onto the road not far from me.

"Had I been closer, my head might have been on the road as well."

Police are appealing for any witnesses to try and discover what caused the fire.