A Fraserburgh home destroyed during a devastating gas explosion will be repaired and modernised at a cost of £179,000 to Aberdeenshire Council.
Fisherman Jonny Tait was rushed to hospital following the blast on Moray Road on March 6 last year.
A local firm has been appointed for the works, which will take four months and are now looking to be around £45,000 costlier than previously estimated.
Devastating fire
The entire road was cordoned off for several hours while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Large black scorch marks could be seen above the property’s front door, while the impact from the blast had knocked the glass and fixtures from several windows.
Fire crews were needed to prop up the lintel above one of the doors to prevent the wall from caving in.
Three of the four council-owned homes damaged by the explosion were inhabited at the time of the incident and all tenants have since been permanently rehoused in other properties.
Contractor appointed for repairs
In February, the local authority opened bids for work to repair the damage, which stretched across the four-flat block at 1, 3, 5 and 7 Moray Road.
At that point, the work was expected to cost around £130,000 and last for four months.
Today, the council has appointed Bridge of Don firm KW Contractors to carry out the scheme, at a cost of £176 998.26 excluding vat.
It was suspected that the explosion had been caused by some sort of gas leak, and Mr Tait had told one of his friends the week previously he had noticed a smell of gas in his house.
“Complete and utter mayhem”
Witnesses saw him “staggering” out of the property moments before police and fire crews descended on the street.
Following the blast, residents described the scene as “complete and utter mayhem”.
One said the sound of the explosion was indescribable, while another neighbour spoke of debris left strewn across the road.
But gas company SGN said the incident was “not related” to its gas network.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.