Two pensioners have been taken to hospital following an explosion which totally demolished a house.
Emergency services were called to the incident at Murdiston Avenue in Callander, near Stirling, at around 6am.
Robin Cunningham, 77, was airlifted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary after being rescued from the blast site. He is said to be in a stable condition.
Marianne Cunningham, 74, was taken to Forth Valley Royal Infirmary and has now been released.
Neighbour Alistair Allan, who lives across the road, told STV News: “We were all woken up at 6.30am by this almighty bang. I looked out the window and the house across the road was on fire. I ran across and the elderly gentleman was under rubble, I think in the kitchen, and his wife was in another part of the house. I could hear her calling out for help. She was saying ‘I can’t take it any more’.
“The firefighters were there very quickly. They got the woman out through a window and I think the man was out after about 15 or 20 minutes.My daughter came in last night about 8.30pm and said there was a strong smell of gas in the street but we didn’t think anything of it at the time.”
Claire Luti, a partner in nearby Dreadnought Garage, said: “I live at the other end of town so I didn’t hear the explosion, but I heard the helicopter that was sent to take them (the man) to hospital. They are an elderly couple in their 70s who are quite well known in the town.”
Eric Brown, proprietor of the nearby Roman Camp Hotel, said: “I heard a loud bang at around 5.45am this morning.The hotel is set quite far back from the road so it wasn’t particularly loud from where we are, but it was enough to wake me up.
“I understand that a lot of houses have been evacuated.”
Nine houses in Murdiston Avenue and nearby Aveland Road have been evacuated. Stirling Council has set up a rest centre in the town.
Chief Inspector Russell Penman said: “The house has been totally demolished as a result of the explosion.
“We are treating this as a suspected gas leak and inquiries are at a very early stage to establish the cause. Scotland Gas Networks are in attendance and working with us.”See Friday’s Courier for exclusive aerial photos of the blast site