A car exploded at 7:40 am at the home of a plumber close to the town centre, projecting and scattering debris over several tens of meters. The plumber was seriously wounded to the face and one hand, and required hospitalisation. Two others, including a child, experienced shock. The windows of three houses were damaged. Undoubtedly fearing the theft of the welding unit from his service van during the night, the plumber had hid the equipment in the boot of his private car; the explosion occurred the following day while retrieving the welding unit. The vehicle was parked in a narrow alley, which helped “contain” the explosion to a small area, directing the blast in one direction, nevertheless while causing significant damage along its path. According to the preliminary information gathered, a gas leak could have been ignited by a cigarette butt or the light switching on in the boot of the car. Acetylene cylinders were seized for purposes of the investigation. The intervention by the fire department ended at around 12 am.