The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A DAY after a gas explosion tore through her house, Sandra Smith sat in disbelief among the remnants of her family’s home, contemplating how her worst nightmare became a reality.

“I don’t know if someone could wake me up because I’m still wondering what’s going on,” she said in the yard of her destroyed home.

“Everything is gone, just like that,” she tearfully added. “That’s it. But God is good; everyone is still alive.”

The explosion on Sunday caused a ruckus. Numerous people gathered, fearing that lives were lost. Curious Bahamians rushed to live news streams documenting the aftermath of the ordeal. 

When The Tribune revisited the scene yesterday, Mrs Smith had just returned from the hospital, where she was treated for injuries sustained in the powerful blast. Her face, arms, and legs were covered in dark burns. After losing everything, she wore a pastel dress she had barely managed to find. Her mind was filled with worry for her other relatives still recovering in the hospital.

Mrs Smith sat emotionally on the back porch, surrounded by debris, shattered glass, shingles, and broken windows. At one point, she played gospel music on her phone to calm her nerves. Family members tried to console her as she gazed at what was left.

Her double-unit home on Baillou Hill South Road exploded while receiving a gas refill from a Discount Propane truck. The explosion injured eight people, including Mrs Smith, her husband, grandchildren, daughter, and the gas workers. 

Police reported that a 25-year-old male gas worker servicing the home noticed a clog in the gas line, which led to the explosion. The driver of the truck managed to shut off the main gas line, preventing further damage, but suffered severe burns to his body and face. The truck’s passenger, a 26-year-old male, also sustained burns to his face and hands.

Mrs Smith said she was in the back unit of the home with her husband and two grandchildren when the gas worker arrived to fill their tank. She noted that they had used Discount Propane multiple times without incident.

While the tank was being filled, Mrs Smith’s husband saw the gas worker holding the gas line. He reportedly asked if everything was okay or if there was a gas leak. The worker replied that there was a bump in the line, but the gas began flowing smoothly into the tank.

A few minutes later, Mrs Smith saw foam circulating in the air and took her grandchild inside. As she pushed open the back door, the explosion happened in the blink of an eye.

She said she grabbed her two children and evacuated in a panic. Once outside, she found her daughter and granddaughter, both heavily bleeding. She also noted that her husband sustained a broken leg from the explosion and needed assistance to be carried out of the house.

“I kept saying, ‘Jesus, let’s go, y’all, let’s go.’ I was calling on God, trying to get out the door,” she recalled.

For her, the explosion seemed stronger than a bomb. In an instant, her house was reduced to rubble, and her family lost everything.

The Public Hospital Authority reported yesterday that two adults were in still critical condition, while two were stable. Two of the three children had been discharged, and one remained stable.

Mrs Smith said that of her three grandchildren, her nine-year-old grandson suffered burns to his face. Her daughter is in critical condition. 

Despite their deep attachment to their home of five years, Mrs Smith thanked God that no one was killed. She said while the house is insured, she is unsure whether it will be rebuilt, as the units belonged to her daughter and her daughter’s husband.

Mrs Smith is currently staying with her son. She said she visited the scene again because she was struggling to come to terms with the incident. 

“Instead of staying at my son’s house, I came back to see if it was real,” she said. “Things happened so fast.”