A woman survived an explosion which destroyed a house by leaping onto a trampoline from an upstairs window, neighbours have claimed.

Three people were injured in the blast, including a man who was said to be “literally on fire” as he was pulled from the building.

Neighbours said they believed the woman would have died if she had been in her kitchen at the time of the explosion.

The incident is thought to have taken place at 7.50pm on Saturday at the ground floor flat of a property in Hartcliffe, Bristol.

“I was about to put my four-year-old daughter to bed and watch TV when I heard a bang which sounded like a car crash,” said witness Kirsty Dukes, who lives next door.

She added: "I could hear the upstairs neighbours screaming ‘Get me out, get me out.'

“[The man] was literally on fire… I honestly thought someone was going to die.”

The woman who escaped from the first floor "jumped out onto a trampoline in the front garden", she said.

The cause of the explosion has not yet been officially confirmed by the police or fire service.

Police set up a 200m cordon around the site to investigate.

Steve Imrie from Avon Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the incident was still unknown but there was no information to suggest it was suspicious.

“Early information is that there was potential gas at the property, though this is yet to be confirmed,” he said.

"Crews are currently working with police, ambulance, and the local authority to make the scene safe and assess the integrity of the building."