Man is badly burned in garage explosion

A MAN suffered serious burns in a explosion and a fire in Failsworth.

Three fire engines raced to Grimshaw Avenue just after 7.30pm yesterday after around 20 people called 999 to report the blast in a garage at a semi-detached house.

A 40-year-old man had been taken to a neighbour’s house suffering burns to his face, leg, hands and arm.

He remained conscious and was treated by firefighters until paramedics arrived.

The man was taken to hospital by ambulance and his injures are not believed to be life-threatening.

A cordon was put in place while firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the property, but nobody else was involved.

The damage was confined to the garage which was used as a workshop. The explosion and fire is believed to have involved a propane gas fire and an investigation into the exact cause is being carried out.

Station manager Steve Twinn, who was in charge of the incident, said: “We were called to a garage that is used as a workshop and there was an explosion that we believe was caused by a propane cylinder.

“Firefighters made the scene safe.”