Shocking video shows moment worker was sent flying through the air after underground gas explosion in Derbyshire

The man had been building a fence on a farm in Wessington when he was blown off his feet by the force of the blast on Tuesday, June 21.

Shocking footage shows the contactor scrambling to safety after the machinery he was using struck a gas main, leading to an explosion and major leak.

The scenes were captured by resident Alan Brown's security cameras – who said the man walked away completely unscathed but a “little shook up.”

Married dad-of-two Alan, 62, a company director said: “We were on holiday down in the Cotswolds at the time, I had arranged for both my lads to water the garden. My wife and I were coming out of John Lewis and one of my boys called and said he can’t water the garden because the entire street was blocked off.

“He said there were fire engines everywhere and there had been a gas explosion so we checked out of our hotel and bombed back home. My wife Kim’s new car was on the drive and covered in soil and stone. Luckily it wasn't too badly damaged.

“I watched back the CCTV footage and just thought 'Jesus Christ'. The noise of the blast was incredible. The guy who owns the farm only bought it a year ago. The contractor was putting fences in. They’ve bought six fields in total and he was working on the last one.

“It looks like he’d put his hand down to reach for something that was blocking the post. He goes to get a metal spike out of his machinery and that’s what went through the pipe I believe. He's a very lucky bloke. He was completely fine but obviously a little shook up. I can't believe he walked away uninjured, it must have come as quite a shock.”

“There were about 30 gas vans on site with two blokes in each. It was a massive response. One of the gas engineers said the amount of gas that escaped would have been enough to supply the whole village for five years. I got a text at 6.00am the following morning saying we could go back into our home. It must have all been going on for about 12 hours. I've never known anything like it but luckily nobody was hurt.”

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said that the risk of the leaking gas igniting meant residents had to stay away from their homes for several hours.

A Cadent Gas spokesperson said: “Cadent engineers worked through the night on an emergency repair after a pipe was hit by a third party on Brackenfield Lane in Wessington on the morning of June 21. Our teams have made everything safe and remain on site to complete the repair work.

“There has been no interruption to the local gas supply. Households that were evacuated yesterday as a safety precaution have now been able to return home. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience.

“This was a great response by the emergency services, including our team, in making sure everyone was kept safe. If you ever smell gas, here or anywhere, it is important to act immediately and call the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999.”