House collapse caught on video; Family escapes with minor injuries

The family whose Oldenzaal house collapsed due to a gas explosion on Monday morning all escaped the incident with only minor injuries. The son was in the attic when the house collapsed. He came down with the hose and simply stepped out into the street, where police officers found him in a daze, RTV Oost reports. The collapse was caught in a startling video.

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The Twente Fire Brigade initially reported that the son was outside during the incident. But that turned out not to be the case, the police said on Tuesday. The mother and one daughter were rescued from the rubble a short time later. It took emergency services about four hours to rescue the father. The second daughter was not at home.

"All the angels who protect the family were with them today," mayor Patrick Welman said in a neighborhood meeting later on Monday. "It is truly a miracle that the affected family and the mechanic escaped with fairly minor injuries."

The house on Hoefsmid collapsed at around 9:45 a.m. on Monday due to a gas explosion. The explosion was likely caused by work in and near the house to install a charging station. The authorities believe the mechanic hit a gas pipeline. The city is investigating how it happened.

The gas leak has been closed and locals were allowed to return to their homes. Family members took in the affected family, the mayor said.