One of the victims of the Shrewsbury blast today spoke of his “miracle” escape when flames ripped through his first floor flat and the building collapsed around him.

Scott Godbold, 23, was released from Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital at the weekend and is now recovering at his parents’ Shrewsbury home.

Recalling the blast, which happened on the corner of Smithfield Road and Bridge Street, Scott said he felt as though someone must have been watching over him, his girlfriend Sarah Pearse, flatmate Sam Devine-Turner and friend Annie Davies.

Scott and Sam, 19, have been discharged from Selly Oak. Sarah, 19, is critical but stable and Annie, also 19, is comfortable.

Another victim of the blast, Kiley Mcdonnell, is in a stable condition at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he is being treated for spinal injuries.

Scott said: “It’s a miracle any of us got out of it, to come out with not even a broken bone after the amount of rubble that fell on top of me.”

Scott said the night before the blast he had stayed at the flat while Sam and Sarah, went out with their friend Annie.

He said the three girls had come back to the flat and he had sat up talking.

“Just before we went to bed Sarah said she could smell gas but five or 10 minutes previously I’d turned an electric heater on,” he said.

“We didn’t have any gas in the flat so I said it was probably the smell of the heater and thought nothing of it.”

The next day he and Sarah were getting ready to go out.

“I was talking to Sam and showing her something on my phone,” he said.

“Sarah was in the bedroom and Annie was walking onto the landing.

“Then the floor opened up and there was a flash and flames coming towards me.

“I fell through the floor into the empty building underneath the flat.

“Rubble started falling on top of me. It seemed like the rubble was coming down forever then it seemed to stop.

“It felt like I couldn’t move and I could feel heat on my legs. I could see flames behind me and I knew I had to get out.”