Bedford explosion: 50 households still unable to return home after fatal blast
Fifty households and families are still unable to return home, 10 days on from a fatal gas explosion in their neighbourhood that killed a man and left a woman in hospital.
Paul Swales, 85, died in the blast on 19 October, which was caused by a leak of natural gas at a property in Cleat Hill, Bedford, and police said in the aftermath that more gas had been detected in the area.
A female relative who was pulled from the wreckage remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Bedford Borough Council said on Tuesday it had accompanied each of the 50 households back to their properties to allow them to claim possessions "in a safe and orderly fashion".
It said its support had included offering temporary emergency accommodation to 31 households, financial support, and a 24-hour emergency helpline.
It has also opened up parts of Borough Hall for people to work from.
On Monday, Mr Swales family described him as "a kind and loving man who we dearly miss".
The moment the house exploded was caught on a neighbour's doorbell camera
A spokesperson for the Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum said: “We are all deeply saddened by the tragic incident at Cleat Hill. Our thoughts are with everybody who has been affected, as well as the wider local community.
“While public safety remains our number one priority, we also appreciate the level of disruption caused to residents who have not been able to access their homes.
“We continue to listen to our residents’ feedback and want to continue to work with them.”
A cordon remains in place while police, fire and the Health and Safety Executive investigate.
The area where the explosion happened was also evacuated in July after a natural gas leak was detected.
Contractors installing a ground-source heat pump bored into a natural gas reservoir, releasing the gas.
Work was carried out to cap the leak before people were allowed to return to their homes.
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