A heartbroken pet dog refused to leave the burned-out home of its elderly owner who was killed in a horror gas pipe explosion.

The pooch was owned Lamai Om-on, 85, who died when the blast ripped through the two-storey property in Samut Prakan province, central Thailand, on October 22.

Two other women, Mali Boonbun, 88 and 37, Somsri Chanprat, were killed and 66 others were injured in the explosion and fire caused by a leak from a damaged pipe.

Miraculously, the elderly grey Aspin dog survived with burns across its fur but when it returned to the charred shell of the property, its beloved owner was not there.

Paramedics found the dog sniffing through the building, frantically trying to find its companion. It had even curled up in its favourite position next to the window while waiting for his beloved master to make dinner.

Staff tried to take the pooch, named Jao Mok, to the vets but it refused to leave the building and continued searching for the old lady.

Tragically, the grieving pooch gave up the next day and was taken to the vets to receive treatment for its injuries. The dog has now been adopted by one of the members of the rescue team.

Khun Arnon, one of those at the scene of the blast, said residents would often see the elderly woman with the dog.

He said: ''The dog was a companion for the woman because she was on her own a lot of the time.

''We tried to take the dog go to the vets but it would not leave the home. It took a day take it away. He was injured and sad.''

The explosion and resulting fire from a gas plant owned by the PTT energy company caused widespread damage to surrounding homes in the Bang Bo district.

Flames stretching more than 200ft in the air could be seen from homes in neighbouring Bangkok around 50 miles away.

The Council of Engineers Thailand (CoE) said it was investigating the gas pipe explosion while the public company said victims and the families of the dead would be compensated.

CoE president Suchatvee Suwansawat said that initial inquiries showed that the pipe was damaged, causing high-pressure fuels to leak out and explode.

However, the inquiry is now looking at the reason for the pipe's damage.