Five people escaped with minor injuries today after an explosion at a house in Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Gardaí believe the property was empty at the time of the blast, which emergency services suspect might have been caused by a gas leak.
Four units of the fire brigade and three ambulances went to the scene St Anne’s Square at around 1.30pm.
A spokesman for Dublin Fire Brigade said it was lucky nobody was killed.
“The front of the house was blown out,” he said.
“It was fairly serious. I’d say they were lucky, very, very lucky, that they weren’t killed.”
Bord Gais’s emergency response crew was at the scene, but was unable to gain access to the building because of structural concerns.
The injured included an elderly neighbour, a motorist and three passers-by.
Gardaí said their injuries were not life-threatening, but they were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.
In a statement released this afternoon Bord Gais said as a precaution the company had isolated the supply of gas to the house and neighbouring properties damaged in the explosion.
The statement said: “The cause of the explosion is not known at this stage.
“Bord Gáis is assisting the emergency services in investigating the cause; however, the local authority is currently establishing the means necessary to make the buildings safe in order to allow detailed examination of the scene.”