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Gas explosion girl 'was lifeless' Mother fought to save blast girl
(about 1 hour later)
A nine-year-old girl was left lifeless under a pile of rubble after a gas explosion at a house she was walking past, an inquest has heard. A mother pleaded with her nine-year-old daughter not to die after the girl was trapped by debris from a house blown apart in a gas explosion.
Stephanie Hammacott was walking to school in Plymouth, Devon, when the blast caused a wall to collapse on top of her in January 2008. An inquest heard Stephanie Hammacott had been walking to school in Plymouth, Devon, when the blast happened in January 2008.
Her mother Carol was then heard crying: "Where's my baby? Where's my baby?" Her mother Carol had told her: "Be your usual stubborn self and fight". But Stephanie died later of her injuries.
A build-up of gas in a pipe led to the explosion, the Plymouth inquest heard.
Classroom assistant Mrs Hammacott had been taking Stephanie to a pre-school breakfast club when the blast happened, the hearing at the city's council house was told.
The only good thing is that Stephanie is living in heaven while I am still here and I don't know why I am Carol Hammacott
As they passed a terraced house, just yards from their home in Bulteel Gardens, Plymouth, Stephanie said she could smell gas.
Her last words were "What's that smell Mum?"
Before her mother could answer they were both engulfed in the explosion.
A sobbing Mrs Hammacott, 39, told the inquest how she had tried to pull her daughter free.
But her efforts to keep her alive were in vain because Stephanie was already dying from her injuries, a pathologist said.
Dr Gyan Fernando said she died from multiple injuries, including fractures to the skull, neck and limbs and ruptures to her liver, lungs and aorta.
Mrs Hammacott, who escaped with minor injuries, told the inquest: "The only good thing is that Stephanie is living in heaven while I am still here and I don't know why I am."
A neighbour told the inquest he could not pull her free from the rubble because of the weight of concrete.A neighbour told the inquest he could not pull her free from the rubble because of the weight of concrete.
'Very pale'
Neighbour Liam Kellond said he ran to the scene of the explosion and could see Stephanie lying face down.Neighbour Liam Kellond said he ran to the scene of the explosion and could see Stephanie lying face down.
He told the hearing at Plymouth Council House: "I found she was stuck fast and the weight of the concrete was holding her down. As I tried to move her legs I could feel the burning. He told the hearing: "I found she was stuck fast and the weight of the concrete was holding her down. As I tried to move her legs I could feel the burning.
"I could see she was very pale and I knew in my mind she was lifeless.""I could see she was very pale and I knew in my mind she was lifeless."
Neither of the two elderly occupants of the house were injured.
The inquest continues.The inquest continues.