Frenchman destroys part of his home while trying to swat a fly

It is not known if the fly survived the blast. Photo / File

A man in his 80s in France took out much more than a fly he was attempting to swat, partially destroying his home and rendering it uninhabitable.

The unidentified individual was reportedly eating dinner at about 7.45pm on Friday when he became irritated by the sound of a fly buzzing round and decided to take action.

Grabbing an electric fly swatter shaped like a racquet, he swung at the small insect, but was unaware of the fact that a gas cylinder in his home was leaking.

Fly swatters are a common household appliance, designed to emit pulses of electricity that stun or kill an insect as soon as there is contact with the device.

A reaction occurred between the electricity from the racquet and the flammable gas in his home, causing a large explosion, which destroyed part of his kitchen and brought down a section of the ceiling.

The octogenarian, from the village of Parcoul-Chenaud in Dordogne, remarkably managed to escape with only a burn to his hand. He was taken to Libourne hospital for checks.

A local investigator told the Daily Mail: "On this occasion, gas was leaking into the man's house. The very hot zapper ignited the gas, causing a sudden explosion."

"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."

He has since checked in to a local campsite while his family conduct the necessary repairs to his home, local news outlet Sud Ouest reported.

Electric fly swatters are usually harmless to humans, sending out only a small shock, but there are documented incidents of people suffering burns.

The fly's fate remains unknown.