Seven Sisters: Explosion victim looks forward new home

A mother who was trapped inside her house with her young children after a gas explosion has said their home rebuild is "at a good stage".

Jess Williams said "every single aspect" of her family's lives was "torn apart" when their home collapsed.

Her two sons suffered severe burns and Ms Williams was placed in a coma.

"It's not just our physical injuries, it's our whole lives. Every single possession we had, we've lost," she said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 nearly three years after the explosion, she added: "You know there's been times where I've wanted to give up and thought; 'I just can't do this'."

The property in Seven Sisters, Neath Port Talbot, was reduced to rubble during the explosion on 23 June 2020.

There was a distinct smell of gas, and then the house "blew up", said Ms Williams.

"I fell back onto the floor and I could see from looking up that the ceiling had caved in and there was rubble everywhere," she said.

A fridge fell on top of her, wedging her against the wall, but she said this actually saved her life, by shielding her from further falling rubble.

Ms Williams had burns on about 70% of her body spent 14 weeks in Morriston Hospital, Swansea, and had to be placed in an induced coma for a month.

Her sons, aged five and two at the time, both suffered burns to about 28% of their bodies.

Ms Williams recalled being desperate to see her boys after waking up in hospital, but also not wanting them to see her in her injured condition.

"I think I was protecting myself, I was scared," she said.

"I didn't want them not to recognise me."

She added: "Having the scars are just a daily reminder as well of what's happened."

Ms Williams said that an investigation carried out after the explosion concluded it was the regulator on the gas canister in the home which failed.

"There were no real warning signs. We wouldn't have known it wasn't working properly," she said.

"I'd been cooking with the oven the day before and there was no suggestion there was a problem."

Despite the many life-changing consequences of the incident, including having to learn to walk again, Ms Williams said she discovered an inner strength she did not previously realise she had.

"Loads of people have said to me 'how strong you're being'.

"I had no choice but to find the strength. So I think everyone's got a hidden warrior inside them. And when life gets really, really tough, you've just got to search for that and find the strength within you."

Ms Williams previously thanked her community for rallying around her family, during and after the explosion.

She added: "It was so, so overwhelming to come home to so much money raised for us. I had messages from so many people with support. People within our community have been absolutely phenomenal and we wouldn't be where we are today without the support of people. We are truly forever grateful for that."

She said the family hopes to be able to move back to the site by the end of this year, as reconstruction work continues.

"The outside is about three-quarters of the way done. So once that's done, hopefully the inside can all get started," she said.

"We were really happy where we lived. So I don't think I'll ever have closure from the whole accident.

"The thing that hurts the most is their baby things - their baby clothes, little scrapbooks, little toys that they absolutely loved.

"But I think when the house is rebuilt, I'll feel more peace then, that it's done and we can fully put it behind us as much as we possibly can and move on."

She added she has been able to go back to work at a pre-school, despite at one time thinking that would be impossible.

"I love my job. And it just gives me that sense that life can carry on and I can still do everything that I want to be able to do."