Blast victim says he does not know how he 'got out of there alive'

On 18 October, an explosion ripped through the third floor flat blowing out the the walls

A teenager who suffered 87% burns when an explosion ripped through his flat in Wiltshire says he does not know how he "got out of there alive".

Kyle Roe had a cardiac arrest and was put into an induced coma following the gas blast in Chippenham in October.

The 19-year-old, who has already undergone 12 operations, said: "I didn't know what had happened - I just saw skin hanging off of everywhere."

He said: "I feel lucky to be alive after seeing all the pictures."

Kyle Roe said he feels "lucky to be alive" after seeing all the pictures following an explosion at his flat in Chippenham

The 19-year-old has been moved out of intensive care but still faces another two years in and out of hospital

The blast - which blew out the walls of the third-floor flat in Market Place - happened just after 18:00 BST on 18 October.

"I remember stumbling down the stairs screaming, "Help me, help me" and getting outside and rolling around on the floor," said Kyle.

"It was horrendous. I didn't know what to do."

'Huge miracle'

He was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol and later transferred to a specialist unit in Swansea.

Nine weeks on, his condition is no longer considered life-threatening and he has been moved out of intensive care.

"I feel lucky to be alive after seeing all the pictures and I'm just looking forward to getting home," he said.

An investigation into the cause of the explosion is being led by the Health and Safety Executive

His mother Tracy Roe said when she first saw her son "it looked as if his skin was melting" and the flat "looked like a bomb site".

"When we arrived we were told we needed to prepare ourselves for the worst," she said.

"It was quite horrendous and when Kyle looked at the photographs and video, the first thing he said was: "How did I get out of there alive?" but none of us can answer that. It's a huge miracle."

An investigation into the cause of the explosion is being led by the Health and Safety Executive with support from Wiltshire Police.