Home at last: Gas blast neighbours return to house more than a year after explosion
A family whose house was severely damaged in a gas blast more than a year ago have finally been allowed to moved back in.
The explosion on December 28, 2015, completely obliterated a home on Penn Road, belonging to pensioner Wendy Ayoub, while the scale of destruction also forced out next-door neighbours Daljit and Kuldip Uppal and their 20-year-old son Sam.
What was left of Ms Ayoub's house was demolished due to safety reasons and the Uppals had to move out as their home was also badly damaged.
Speaking to the Express & Star Mr Uppal, aged 49, said: "We finally got the keys back over the weekend. But we are doing the move over the period of a few weeks. There is a lot to do."
The family had lived in the home more than 20 years before the incident.
Most of the property survived, but the blast blew a giant hole in the side of the house causing bricks to crash into the dining room where Mrs Uppal, also 49, had been just moments before.
It also caused extensive damage to their newly-renovated kitchen while a new driveway also had to be ripped up to repair the gas main which led to the explosion.
As a result, a large part of the home had to be rebuilt meaning the family has had to rent a two-bedroom semi-detached house on Dudley Road close to their business, Uppal's sweet makers and caterers.
To add insult to injury the property on Penn Road was burgled twice in the aftermath.
While reconstruction work has been taking place the family have had to put a lot of their furniture and belongings in storage. But now the family have been given the all clear to move back.
Mr Uppal, who has made daily visits to Penn Road to keep track of the progress, said: "It has taken a lot longer than I thought it would have.
"Initially when I rented the other house I thought I would be back here in about four months.
"But part of the house had to be demolished and we got burgled in between.
"We went through a lot. Work started in about September and then we thought we might be in by December, but there were more delays.
"Now it is just Relief, absolute relief that we are finally going back home."
Remarkably no-one was seriously hurt in the explosion.
Pensioner Wendy Ayoub, who lived in the home where the gas leak originated, was shielded from the blast by her washing machine and escaped with minor injuries.
Mr Uppal was holidaying in India at the time but his wife Kuldip had been in the dining room just moments before bricks rained in.
Despite having their lives turned upside down by the incident Mr Uppal is ultimately relieved the consequences were not far worse.
He said: "I am just grateful that my wife was okay.
"There was a lot of damage and the cost has been substantial. It is all covered by the insurance.
"Things can be replaced but the main thing is that my wife was not hurt. Our neighbour as well, she survived. That's the main thing. We are happy in that aspect.
"Everything else we just get on with it."
Thieves struck twice between January 25 and 30 last year, taking hundreds of pounds worth of Mrs Uppal's jewellery as well as Sam's Armani watch and Playstation 3.
Speaking to the Express & Star at the time Mr Uppal said: "It's disgusting to think that you work hard and save all your life to get good quality things done and put in your house, then something like this happens and opportunists take advantage."
What little was left of Mrs Ayoub's house was bulldozed and removed while plans are in place to rebuild the property.
The then 73-year-old was fortunate to get away with cuts, bruises and a broken ankle as she was taken to the city's New Cross Hospital.
In April last year she spoke at length about the ordeal addressing the hospital's trust board where she paid tribute to the staff for looking after her.
Mrs Ayoub said at the time: "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 Hospital."
A fundraising campaign set up after the blast to help Mrs Ayoub get back on her feet raised more than £2,000.
