Swansea explosion: Man who rescued boy says he's not a hero

A antheral who helped rescue a 14-year-old lad from the wreckage of a location that was destroyed successful an detonation said helium was conscionable pursuing his instincts.

One location was destroyed successful the suspected state detonation astatine the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road successful Morriston, Swansea, astatine astir 11:20 GMT connected Monday.

Brian Davies, 68, died 3 others, including the teenager, were injured.

Donn Fernández, 40, said helium did not privation to beryllium called a "hero", adding: "No, I'm conscionable human."

Mr Fernández, who lone moved to Swansea from the Philippines 1 period ago, was 1 of those who helped rescue Ethan Bennett aft the blast.

He was walking up the stairs erstwhile his neighbour Mr Davies's location exploded.

At first, helium had nary thought wherever the sound had travel from but saw his beforehand doorway and windows were shattered and determination was "white smoke" successful the air.

When helium ran outside, helium could spot Ethan caught successful the rubble of the remains of his extortion truthful helium and respective others pulled him to safety.

His wife, Donna Fontanilla, 30, said: "I support connected telling him that you are brave, but helium doesn't privation to accept."

Mr Fernández said helium did what anyone other would person done successful his shoes and praised Ethan: "It's not maine who saved him - it's the lad who's truly brave."

Ms Fontanilla is simply a caregiver and was astatine enactment erstwhile the blast happened.

When Mr Fernández called to archer her what had happened, her archetypal thought was for her neighbour.

"I said, 'Oh my God, how's Brian?' due to the fact that I knew helium was surviving virtually successful that house. Looking astatine the location itself, I don't deliberation determination is simply a motion of beingness and I consciousness truly devastated, you cognize - I consciousness atrocious for him, helium doesn't merit this."

The mates moved to Clydach Road successful February and described Mr Davies arsenic welcoming and friendly.

On Wednesday, they received the quality that their location was excessively severely damaged by the blast for them to return.

The couple's children, two-year-old Zefia and Evan, three, are inactive successful the Philippines surviving with family.

They had planned for their children to determination and articulation them successful April, but those plans are connected clasp portion the mates searches for a caller home.

But Ms Fontanilla said they had been "overwhelmed" by the assistance of the council, their Catholic church, and the Filipino assemblage successful Swansea.

"I'd similar to instrumentality this accidental to accidental convey you to everyone. We truly admit it. They are ever making definite that we are rather comfy - they've fixed america spare clothes, water, basal necessities for america to get through."

Their priest, Father Jason Jones, who is storing immoderate of the possessions they were capable to retrieve, said: "I deliberation we're conscionable precise blessed that he's portion of our assemblage and truthful consenting to hazard his ain beingness due to the fact that determination could person been further explosions."

Meanwhile, the RSPCA has been moving to enactment families and their pets who were affected by the blast.

An inspector rescued 1 cat, Fern, from the country of the blast, which is present being cared for astatine the RSPCA's Llys Nini carnal rescue centre successful Penllergaer.

However, they are inactive trying to find Fern's member Teddy who remains missing - some pets beryllium to the Bennett family, whose location was wrecked successful the explosion.

Ethan was reunited with household favored Fern astatine Llys Nini aft being rescued, but the feline volition stay astatine the centre.

Sally Hyman, chairwoman of the trustees astatine the carnal rescue centre, said: "We've been pumping retired the entreaty for Teddy connected our societal media. We've had volunteers retired looking for him and Cat Protection are besides connected board.

"Their specialists accidental the champion accidental whitethorn beryllium to to effort to trap him overnight and they are connected manus to bash that."

South Wales Police said an probe had been launched into the origin of the explosion, and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed.