Wolverhampton gas blast: 'It's a bit of a blur' admits survivor

The words of the pensioner who miraculously survived a gas blast which flattened her Black Country home.

Wendy Ayoub has spoken for the first time about her ordeal - and remembers the floor opening up, but admits the aftermath of the explosion at her home in Wolverhampton was 'a bit of a blur'.

Ms Ayoub, who was 73 at the time of the explosion on December 28 last year, spoke as part of a patient experience interview for the board of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

A mound of rubble was all that was left of Ms Ayoub's home following the blast, which she miraculously survived after her washing machine fell on top of her, shielding her from the debris.

And she has now described how the force of the explosion forced her below the floor of her own home.

Ms Ayoub said: "I felt the wooden floor open up and in seconds I was under the floor. The next thing I remember is hearing people calling my name and my feet hurting.

"The ambulance staff just went about their business in a calm way and that really helped me.

"They took me on a stretcher out of what was left of my house, into the neighbour's garden.

"I don't remember much of what happened, it's a bit of a blur."

Ms Ayoub has praised the staff at New Cross Hospital who she said were 'always smiling' and reassuring her.

"I felt cocooned, in a nice way, it felt quite safe.

"I am hugely grateful to them all, they were always smiling and very reassuring."

Ms Ayoub is now looking forward to getting back to living independently, having had the metal pins removed from her heels.

She said: "My house may have gone, everything I owned may have gone, but I haven't gone.

"I'm determined to get back to living independently, and I couldn't be doing that without all the help I have received from the staff at New Cross."

Speaking at the board meeting of the trust, chief nursing officer, Cheryl Etches OBE said: "The staff have found Ms Ayoub's praise really motivating, and reinforced for them the importance of keeping patients themselves motivated. It was a bit of a light-bulb moment for staff, especially as Ms Ayoub was on one of the wards that has previously received negative reports."

"I was quite content," Ms Ayoub added. "My family were more worried than I was, to the point where I thought I should get out of the bed and let them get in it instead!"

Emergency teams found Ms Ayoub after they heard her calling out for help and pulled her from the rubble – with only a broken ankle, cuts and bruises.

Glass and bricks were blown onto the busy road, which remained closed for much of the day, after the explosion.

Nearby homes shook from the force of the blast as debris landed in gardens nearby. Cars driving past the scene had their windows smashed in.

Ms Ayoub, whose husband Fouzi died tragically in a car accident in Mali in 2000, later joked that her washing machine saved her life.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it appeared she was saved by the washing machine and an internal wall which protected her from falling rubble and timber.

The wreckage in Penn Road was untouched until late February when diggers moved in to begin the mammoth task of clearing the site.

The debris has now gone and the ground is flat, revealing the back garden to passers-by.

The explosion also caused significant damage to the neighbouring property belonging to 48-year-old Daljit Uppal.

His family were unable to move back in following the blast on December 28 and burglars targeted the property twice, stealing jewellery among other items.

A new driveway costing around £6,000 has also had to be ripped up by workmen since the blast for gas main repairs.

In the aftermath of the blast, a fund was set up to help Ms Ayoub, with well-wishers donating more than £2,000.