Man blows up part of house while trying to swat fly

A man has blown up part of his house in France while trying to swat a fly.

The man, in his 80s, was eating his dinner on Friday evening when he heard a fly buzzing around him.

He picked up an electric racket designed to kill bugs, and began swatting at it. However, he was unaware of a gas canister leaking in his home, in the village of Parcoul-Chenaud in Dordogne.

A reaction happened between the swat and the gas, causing an explosion that blew up part of his kitchen.

The blast also damaged a section of his roof and the house is currently uninhabitable.

According to local media, the unnamed man had a lucky escape, sustaining just a burn to the hand.

His family are repairing the house while he lives at a local campsite, news outlet Sud Ouest reported.

The fate of the fly is unknown.