Boat blast drama

AN elderly man is in a critical condition after a gas explosion on his yacht in Newhaven harbour.

The sound of the blast echoed all over the town on Saturday afternoon and blew out windows and doors on the 40ft boat which was moored in the marina.

Two fire engines sped to the scene and found the owner, aged in his 70's, on board with serious burns to the head, arms and face.

Newhaven Fire Station sub-officer Cliff Barron-Carter said: 'The explosion sounded like a lifeboat maroon. It nearly took the cabin off. Te force blew out the windows and doors.'

Gas had leaked from a pipe to a gas cylinder, filling the boat. Somehow it was ignited causing the explosion.

The elderly man, Dimitri Constantin, believed to be from Romania, had been living on the boat, the Carmen Sylva, since he and it were rescued from the sea off Newhaven before Christmas by the Lifeboat.

Newhaven Marina manager John Stirling said the boat had been in a dilapidated state and was unfit to set sail. The build-up of gas had turned the boat into a 'floating bomb', he said. 'The explosion was so loud that Transco was alerted because people thought it was a main blowing up.'

He added: 'Several boats had debris scattered over their decks, but there were no reports of damage from other boat owners, which was very fortunate because something like that could have been a major incident.'

Firefighters ensured any remaining gas cylinders on the yacht were safe and ambulance paramedics took Mr Constantin to the intensive care unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

On Monday he was transferred to the burns centre at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. A hospital spokeswoman said his condition was critical but stable.