Annie, aged 102, survives gas blast

A 102-YEAR-OLD who survived a massive gas explosion that engulfed her kitchen has been hailed "indestructible" by neighbours.

Annie Boyd withstood the full force of the blast which shattered two windows and blew apart an oak panelled door but was still conscious when a neighbour came to the rescue.

The injured pensioner was taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after suffering burns to her face, arms and hands as well as smoke inhalation but her condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

It is believed a hob left on overnight had led to a huge build-up of gas in the kitchen which ignited when the elderly woman switched on a light at 6.10am yesterday. Dozens of neighbours at Falcon Gardens in the Morningside area of the city had to be evacuated following the explosion, which had a blast radius of about 10 metres. Debris even cleared a tall boundary wall.

One resident, who scaled a garden wall to tend to his stricken neighbour, described the devastation he found after hearing cries for help.

He said: "How she has survived is totally extraordinary. It's probably because she was right in the centre of the explosion so the worst of it passed her by. But she has been quite seriously injured.

"I heard her shout for help but when I found her she was conscious and her usual feisty self. I found her sitting in the middle of it all in her kitchen and she was even trying to get up."

Another neighbour, Jean Turner, who sometimes runs errands for Mrs Boyd, said: "There was a real bump and I thought someone downstairs had dropped something then my daughter said she heard the sound of broken glass.

"Annie is indestructible - she's had two falls recently but she just goes on forever. Up until quite recently she used to do her own shopping and she is still quite sprightly."

David Mackie, group manager of health and safety at Lothian and Border Fire and Rescue, said: "The crews arrived within four minutes and they entered the building to find that the living room door had blown off its hinges.

"An elderly woman was screaming for help. She received first aid on the scene and was then taken to hospital to receive treatment for burns on her arms and face. When the fire crew arrived the fire had been extinguished and we believe that a neighbour put out the last flame with his shoe."

"We would like to advise people that if they have elderly relatives or neighbours to keep an eye on them and get them into a routine of checking gas before they go to bed at night."