EXCLUSIVE: Expats praised by police in Spain after saving elderly British couple from gas explosion

GUARDIA CIVIL have praised two expats who rushed to the aid of an elderly British couple who were caught in a gas explosion.

Without the swift actions of John Frank and his Norwegian friend Roger the consequences of the frightening Monday afternoon incident could have been much worse, say police.

The victims, both in their 70s, were seriously injured due to the gas explosion in their bungalow.

According to the Provincial Fire Brigade, it is likely that an accumulation of butane gas in the kitchen caused the accident, and as the couple had only just purchased two new gas bottles, this theory is well supported.

The impact of the 2.30pm explosion was so strong that it caused the windows and doors at the back of the property to blow out and shatter, with the frames crumpling at the same time.

First on the scene were neighbour John and Roger, who were at home at the time. “On hearing the explosion, we rushed round to Shirley and Brian’s,” said John. “The first thing we saw was Shirley, who suffers from dementia, just standing there in the middle of the room in shock. Her clothes were all burnt and had fallen off and her body was totally black. She looked like a zombie from a film and had suffered particularly serious burns to her legs.

“Brian, who’s got cancer, was covered in glass and blood.”

Roger immediately called the emergency services, who after several minutes of questions about the incident, sent Torrevieja firefighters, Local Police, Guardia Civil and ambulance services round to the bungalow, which is located in Calle Segovia in the La Mata area of Torrevieja.

In the meantime, after turning off the gas and electricity, John and Frank proceeded to fill buckets with water and managed to put out the clumps of fire that were dotted about the kitchen and front room.

The couple’s 12-year-old Westie also suffered serious burns and is now recovering after being treated by the Clínica Veterinaria San Antón in Guardamar.

“Sammie, the dog, looked like burnt toast,” said John, “so we put him in the shower and cleaned him up before he was taken away to be treated.”

After the emergency medical team checked Shirley and Brian over, they were rushed to Torrevieja Hospital and from there to the Burns Department at the General Hospital in Alicante.

Thankfully, Shirley and Brian are going to be fine and will be returning home within a few days, Frank and John told the EWN shortly after visiting the couple in hospital on Tuesday afternoon.