A mum says her children could have died in an explosion at her home that blasted out their front window and left her and her husband with burns.

Megan Holland, of Catlyn Close, East Malling, was giving Rilee, four, and Sonny, two, a bath when she heard a "boom".

All the family's belongings were destroyed in the blast, which tore through the living room at about 7pm on Sunday, and resulting fire.

The 31-year-old said: “I was watching my kids in the bath while my husband was in the kitchen.

“We had some friends over for the day and then had a roast dinner. We were just winding down for the evening when it happened.

“Luckily my kids were in the bath because a few minutes more and they’d have been in the front room.

“You would’ve been reporting about four dead bodies.”

Megan was taken to hospital, along with her husband Lee and a neighbour.

The couple suffered burns over one fifth of their bodies – Megan across her face and back and Lee on his arms and back.

They were told they would need to stay and be monitored for 48 hours but by 2.30am they had both discharged themselves to get back to their children, who were staying with their grandad.

The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but Megan believes it started in the front room.

She added: “They were trying to say it was an aerosol can but that doesn’t make your windows blow out.

“There was no indication or smell. We have an electric cooker and the boiler was intact.

“I think it was gas under the floor and the fire brigade told us it was probably the same thing when they got here.”

A fire service spokesman told KentOnline: “The cause of the explosion is unknown but is believed to be accidental.”

However, Clarion Housing, which manages the property, said any issues with the gas supply or appliances had been ruled out.

Inside the flat has been burned out with the contents destroyed by the explosion and the water used to put out the fire.

The family are currently staying in temporary accommodation provided at a nearby Travelodge but do not wish to return to their home.

Megan explained: “We lost everything except the clothes on our back.

“My friends have gone to check the flat out and they say everything has been ruined. Everything is dripping wet and nothing is salvageable.

“We have been told we can return in six weeks but I am never going back there again.”

The mum-of-two added: “My son is having nightmares about it and he’s only four. My husband's burns mean he can’t work.

“Someone needs to be held accountable, it could’ve killed my family.”

Over the last few days friends and family have banded together to collect donations of clothes, food and other essentials and a GoFundMe page has also been set up.

At the time of writing more than £500 had been raised. Click here to view the fundraiser.

Megan said yesterday was the first day they had properly come to terms with what had happened. Wednesday 22/02

“Thank god for the community as without them I don’t know where we’d be,” she added.

A Clarion Housing spokesman said: “Our local team is working closely with the police and the fire brigade as they continue to investigate the incident, so we cannot comment until this has concluded.

"However, we have checked the gas supply and appliances and they were not the cause of the incident.

"We can confirm our staff were on site quickly to help and we have arranged temporary accommodation for the residents of the affected home.

“Our focus will now be on completing damage assessments and any necessary remedial work to allow our residents to move back into their home safely and as soon as possible.”