AN EXPLOSION at a house blew out a kitchen window and left a man with cuts and burns.

The kitchen window was blown out at the terraced house in Holland Street, Astley Bridge, at 3.50am yesterday.

The man, who is in his 40s, was in the kitchen at the time of the blast and suffered a cut to his arm and burns to his forehead.

He managed to get out of the house before firefighters arrived.

A neighbour said: “My 16- year-old son heard a bang and he came into my bedroom traumatised.

“I was asleep, but he said it shook his bedroom.

“We thought someone had been shot at first and we saw the police and fire engines arrive.

“People were outside their houses wondering what was going on.

“I later found out it was an explosion. It is really scary because people could have been killed.”

The cause of the explosion is not yet known and the police are investigating.

Carl Haslam, watch commander at Bolton North fire station, said: “We believe it was caused by a gas leak but we do not know the circumstances of that, which is under investigation.

“Gas explosions happen momentarily, but can cause a lot of damage. Fortunately, this was confined to a small space in the kitchen.”

A police spokesman said: “The emergency services attended and a man in his 40s was taken to hospital suffering from minor burns.

“A joint investigation has been launched between police and the fire service into the cause of the explosion and inquiries are ongoing.”

● A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or property, and is being questioned by police.