Llanbradach fire: Five in hospital after house explosion
Media playback is unsupported on your deviceFive people have been taken to hospital after an explosion and fire at a house in Caerphilly county.
Emergency services were called to Dan-Y-Darren in Llanbradach at about 17:30 BST.
An eyewitness said the front door "blew off the house".
One casualty has been flown to hospital in Birmingham while paramedics took three people to Morriston Hospital in Swansea and one to University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
All five suffered burns, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service group manager Jason Evans said 25 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze.
"On arrival, crews were faced with a well developed fire and a number of casualties being assisted by neighbours at the scene," he said.
"Crews have worked hard to ensure the fire has been contained to the property of origin but additional support is being provided to neighbouring residents.
"Fire investigators from Gwent Police and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are working together with local building control officers to ensure the structural stability of the property, and to carry out a full and meaningful investigation to determine the actual cause of the incident."
A spokesman for Wales and West Utilities gas network added: "We are supporting the emergency services and working with them to investigate the cause of the explosion."
Neighbour Ken Lloyd, 66, said he came out onto the street after hearing a bang.
"Then there were a couple more explosions. It was frightening because we didn't know what was causing it," he added.
Another neighbour, Brian Jenkins, 64, said: "I was out in my back garden and we saw black smoke going up and then it turned white. We also heard popping."
Mr Jenkins, who lives nearly 200m (650ft) away, also said two air ambulances were at the scene.
