Van driver 'a metre away' from being hit by falling bricks after Fountainbridge explosion

A van driver was just a metre away from being struck by falling debris after a gas explosion in a flat in Fountainbridge this evening.

Bricks are strewn across the road below the building.

Andrew McQuater then went to help others who may have been trapped inside after hearing the "massive explosion" in a building next to Tollcross Primary School, shortly before 5pm.

Andrew said he left the vehicle straight away and looked up to see the devastation.

He said there was another man, a joiner, who was telling people to get off the street and was shouting for someone to call 999.

Andrew went on: "Obviously we called the fire bridgade and just we just handed the phone to someone else.

"We got our way in and ran up the stairs shouting "fire" and as we get up to the flat on fire we smelled a really strong smell of gas, and it was absolutely terrifying to think if someone was even in there. Obviously we have then realised it's been gas so thought we have to get out of there for our own safety.

"As we have run back down we have banged on all the doors saying "fire, fire, fire" and have then got out and evacuated the scene."