THREE brothers were hurt in a gas explosion in Blaenavon yesterday.

The blast, at an end terrace house in Hillside Avenue, blew the front door and window frame off and left one man with severe burns and two others injured.

The trio inside were named locally as brothers Owen and Phillip Coslett and Delwyn Bright.

Neighbour Robert Jones, 20, of Hillside Avenue, said: "It was an almighty bang."

Residents said the men got out of the house by themselves after the explosion at 12.30am before being taken to Nevill Hall hospital.

Two were later discharged, but Owen Coslett, 57, was transferred to the burns unit of Morriston hospital, Swansea.

The Coslett's brother, Bernard Coslett, 48, who lives in the same street and visited his brother in hospital yesterday, said he was suffering with 30 percent burns.

"I've been in shock, it's been a worry," he said.

Bernard Coslett's partner Sue Lewis, 47, said if Owen was in a critical condition yesterday afternoon and was suffering with burns to his face, hands, arms, legs and back.

Miss Lewis said the next 72 hours were critical and if Owen was well enough, he would be in theatre today to have skin grafts on his upper arms and hands.

"I didn't realise how bad it was until I got down there. The whole family is in shock," she said.

The couple did not hear the explosion and were only made aware of it after a family friend knocked on their door at around 1am to tell them what happened.

Ten firefighters from Brynmawr and Blaenavon attended the explosion and one appliance from Abersychan had to go back to the same address at around 3.40am after another fire started.

Jamie-Lee Seabourne, 18, who lives a few doors away from the house, said: "I was sleeping in my bed and I heard this bang - it was pretty loud."

Police are not treating the incident as deliberate.

A spokeswoman from Wales & West Utilities said: "Under the Gas Act, every domestic property that wishes to be supplied by gas must have a gas meter installed.

However, we are unable to provide personal information about our customers."

The cause of the explosion is unknown and the house remained cordoned off yesterday while an investigation of the property was carried out.