A GAS explosion that ripped through a house has left a 41-year-old man with serious burns.
The victim, who lives at the terrace house in Durham City with his elderly parents, was said to be lucky to survive after a gas boiler exploded and his bedroom was engulfed by a fireball.
The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the blast that shook the house in Diamond Terrace, Durham, at 8am on Saturday.
Investigators will begin to examine the scorched remains of the bedroom this morning to establish how it could have happened.
The injured man was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, but later transferred to the burns unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle. His condition was described last night as serious.
A spokesman for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received a call from a neighbour who believed someone was trapped in the building.
"The blast caused a fireball in the man's bedroom. He was badly burned and his parents suffered shock.
"At this stage, neither the fire brigade, nor the Health and Safety Executive, is sure what caused this large explosion."
The bedroom was destroyed by the blast, but the rest of the house escaped serious damage.
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