What does one do when a buzzing fly annoys? Swat it right? However, attempting to silence the insect proved to be nothing short of a disaster for an 80-year-old French pensioner who tried to kill a fly bothering him with an electric bug zapper and blew up his house in the process.
The bizarre incident occurred on Friday in the mountainous village of Parcoul-Chenaud, located in the Dordogne commune in Southwestern France. As the octogenarian reached for the electric fly swatter, he did not anticipate that gas would have leaked into the house.
An Uninvited Dinner 'Guest'
At around 7:45 PM on Friday, the man was preparing to tuck into his dinner, narrated a report in Sud-Ouest. However, he was bothered by a fly and wanted to get rid of the uninvited guest. He reached out for his electrically powered fly swatter that resembled a racket. Unfortunately, for the man, his gas cylinder had been leaking.
As he began waving the racquet with the intention of getting rid of the pest, the hot instrument came in contact with the gas, resulting in an unexpected blast. "The very hot zapper ignited the gas, causing a sudden explosion," an investigating source was quoted saying by the Metro. The ensuing explosion destroyed his kitchen completely. Also, the roof of his house collapsed partially —leaving him literally without a roof over his head.
Living to Tell the Tale
While his home was destroyed in the explosion, the man miraculously got away with only minor injuries owing to his unusually fast reflexes at his age. "The man was lucky to get away with a burned hand after diving on the floor, but the kitchen was destroyed along with part of the roof," the source was quoted saying. He was transported to a local hospital, 27 miles from his home.
The aged man has not been permitted to return home due to its temporary uninhabitable state. He has been checked into a local campsite by his family while repairs to the house are being carried out. Did the fly survive the blast? The question remains unanswered.
