Auckland fireball couple's long road to recovery

Biju Jose, left, suffered burns to most of his body, while wife, Geena Dominic, is recovering from a burned arm after their New Windsor flat exploded earlier this month. Photo/Facebook

An Auckland man who suffered burns "to most of his body" after his New Windsor flat exploded in a fireball, is able to talk and has started to walk again.

Biju Jose and his wife Geena Dominic's small home burst into flames after a gas leak on Tuesday last week. The explosion rocked the neighbourhood and destroyed everything the pair owned.

Dominic had been discharged from Middlemore Hospital but remained at her husband's side, friend of the couple Salesh Lal told the Herald.

"Biju got facial injuries and the whole of his body got burned, so he's lost quite a lot of skin. He's still in hospital.

"He's started walking but the whole of his body, except for his chest, has burns."

Dominic was staying with her husband in his room.

"She burned the whole of her left arm. She can't return to work for maybe four weeks."

However Jose's recovery is expected to take many months.

The pair were struggling to deal with what had happened, Lal said.

The couple didn't have any family in New Zealand but they had been supported by their employers and friends.

Lal said Jose worked as an engineer while Dominic worked with his own wife as a lab assistant.

On July 4, Jose woke about 4am to the smell of gas but couldn't find anything so went back to bed. However, by the time they woke for work about 6am, the whole flat - which was a sleepout - had filled with gas.

One of the pair turned a light on and it exploded, turning their small home into a giant fireball with a blast that rocked the sleeping suburb.

The roof fell on the pair but they somehow managed to escape with their lives.

The couple's accommodation was managed through an Auckland rental agency as the owner lives overseas.

Lal said Jose had asked the rental company to fix their oven on several occasions prior to the explosion, but it never happened.

The couple now had to come to grips with the fact they'd lost everything.

"They've worked so hard to get all their stuff in the house ... all their documents, jewellery. They didn't have insurance."

Lal had set up a Givealittle page to help them get back on their feet.

The Ministry of Social Development was helping them organise new accommodation, while ACC had approved payments.

* Anyone wishing to donate to the couple can head to their givealittle page