A nine-year-old girl was killed yesterday when a gas explosion blew apart a terrace house and buried her in rubble from the side wall.

Stephanie Hammacott was standing on the pavement beside the 1970s council house, waiting to get into her mother’s car for the journey to school. She was caught by the full force of the blast.

Her mother, Carol, who had just let her two older daughters into the car, ran to Stephanie’s aid and started to dig her out of the debris with her hands. Witnesses reported seeing a fireball and one described the destruction as being like the scene of an earthquake. Stephanie died later in hospital.

The elderly occupants of the house, in Plymouth, were treated for shock and minor injuries. Mrs Hammacott, a teaching assistant at a nearby junior school, was slightly injured.

Neighbouring houses were evacuated as police and firefighters sealed off the immediate area, fearing that adjoining properties would collapse. The wreckage of the house was ablaze.

Agnes Phipps, 61, a neighbour, said: “I heard a bang and did not realise what it was until I saw the smoke. There were people screaming and what was left of the house was in flames and there was a little girl there lying on the grass. The top half of the front wall was down and the top half of one of the side walls was on the ground and still in flames. The flat roof had collapsed. It looked like a scene of an earthquake.”

Dan Kershaw, who lives opposite the two-bedroom house, woke to the sound of screaming. He said: “Loads of people came to dig the girl out from the rubble. I could not look any more because she was in such a bad way. She was all burnt and battered.”

Devon and Cornwall police said that residents had reported smelling gas immediately before the explosion. It is believed to have been leaking from the property, which was occupied by Ronald and Harriet Cloke.

The couple’s son-in-law said: “A fire chief told me my father-in-law had come downstairs and tried to turn the gas central heating on when the roof blew out. There must have been a gas leak in the night.”

Stephanie was taken to Derriford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Mark Lees, her head teacher at Southway Primary School, paid tribute to the girl. He said: “Stephanie was a popular, caring pupil who brightened up the lives of children and adults alike with her loving personality. We will miss her terribly.”

The wrecked house was owned by Plymouth City Council. A spokesman said that the gas appliances had been inspected as recently as June. She added: “The city council wishes to express its deepest sympathy to the family of the young girl who died in this tragic incident. We will do everything in our power to help and support all those affected, including local residents and the school community.

“The council has called in specialist contractors to make the building safe. We will find alternative accommodation for any residents who need it. The initial investigation into the cause of the explosion is being led by the emergency services. A subsequent investigation will be carried out by all agencies involved, including the council.”

Schoolfriends placed tributes near the scene of the explosion. Ebony McCrorie, 10, left a pink piglet with a note that said: “Stephanie, you’re a bright shining star and we’ll never forget you, love from all at Southway Primary School.” Her mother, Deborah McCrorie, 45, said that Ebony and her younger sister had been devastated when they heard what had happened. She said: “Stephanie was a lovely little girl and will be missed by everybody. It wasn’t until the girls were at school that they found out. It’s a horrible shock to the whole community and all my thoughts are with her family.”

Stephen Griffey, Mrs Hammacott’s brother, said: “Steph was here on Saturday talking about what a good Christmas they had all had and how she had been playing with the Wii she was given. I cannot believe this has happened. It is the sort of thing you hear about happening to other people.

“She was in the Brownies and was a lovely, bubbly girl and she and her family always looked after each other. She had just started riding and taking an interest in horses.”

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