Middlesbrough gas blast leaves man fighting for life after dramatic rescue

A man suffering from "severe burns" was dramatically rescued from his burning home following a suspected gas explosion in Middlesbrough.

The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, was saved by local roofer Kayfee Hameed, 45, who demonstrated remarkable courage and selflessness amidst the chaos.

Speaking to TeessideLive, Mr. Hameed recounted the harrowing experience: "Everybody was on the grass over there watching. When I drove past I saw the fire at the house. I jumped out and everyone was shouting 'don't go, don't go'."

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He continued, "I ran inside and I said 'is anybody there? ' The man was laid down there were all rocks on his leg. He was just shocked. I told him to come closer because the fire was coming down. I put him on my back and got him out. I put him on the grass. All his skin came off like a carrier bag."

Sean Joseph, a resident living behind the affected property, described the moment of the explosion: "I work from home and just heard a huge explosion. I actually thought it was a plane crashing". He witnessed what he described as "absolute carnage".

In the aftermath of the event, the emergency services confirmed that the injured man was airlifted to Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) provided details of their response: "We received a call to 999 at 12.42 this afternoon to reports of a house explosion on Kirkland Walk, Middlesbrough."

"We dispatched a duty officer, a clinical team leader, two emergency ambulance crews, a rapid response paramedic, a doctor, four Hazardous Area Response Teams and the air ambulance."

They concluded with an update on the victim's condition: "One patient has been transported to the RVI by air with severe burns."

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police informed TeesideLive: "Cleveland Police are at the scene of an incident in Kirkland Walk, Middlesbrough."

"Officers responded to reports of a house explosion at around 12.40pm today. Members of the public are urged to avoid the area while Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade and North East Ambulance Service work together at the scene."

"We thank local residents for their patience as we continue to deal with this incident."