Hero dad tells how he ran towards the flames to save child from Benwell homes blast
by Sophie Doughty · ChronicleLiveA dad has today told how he helped pull a child from the burning remains of the homes hit by a huge explosion.
Without a thought for his own safety, Geordie Hill ran towards the flames, on Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, after the blast, which claimed two lives, three weeks ago.
The 56-year-old was handed a young child by her mother, who was desperately trying to escape the devastation, and was able to carry the youngster out of harm's way. And today, after returning to his home three weeks on from the explosion, Geordie has relived the devastating night and told how a number of brave neighbours put their own safety aside to help others.
"You just get adrenalin," he said, "when something like that happens you just go straight in. Everybody did."
Geordie was at his home in Buddle Road, with eight other family members, when the explosion happened on the next street, at around 1am on October 16. The force of the blast shook his home and woke his children up.
"It felt like an earthquake," he said. "It rattled all the houses, we were all over the place and all the children were up screaming. There were nine of us in the house all together, we all ran out, everyone was screaming."
Geordie ran towards Violet Close, where he could see homes were on fire. He saw a woman, who he knows, on a mattress holding a young child under her arm.
"Somebody passed one of the bairns out to me," he said. "The bairn was in my arms then I fell backwards and cracked my head, but I got the bairn out. Everyone was going in. There was a few people going in to help."
Tragically, nothing could be done to save seven-year-old Archie York and 35-year-old Jason Laws, whose bodies were found among the debris later that day.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation and today a large area around Violet Close remains cordoned off by police, with huge white sheets hiding the scene from view. Geordie's family was one of dozens forced to leave their homes, but they were told they could return last week.
But with the daily reminder of the tragedy that unfolded on his doorstep in front of him, Geordie now wants to leave that house that has been his home for 10 years.
"I want out now, we all want out," he said. "The kids are all having nightmares."
A man in his 30s is still in hospital following the explosion. His condition is described as "stable". Northumbria Police said it was continuing to carry out investigations into the cause of the explosion along with other agencies.
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