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Around 1,600 homes in a village in the south Wales valleys are still without a gas supply after a gas main explosion. Houses in Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil, were affected by Friday night's incident. Engineers from Wales and West Utilities have been working to repair the main, which has been isolated, in the Abercanaid area. Around 50 homes were evacuated during the fire, which saw flames shooting up to 30ft (9.1m), which was put out on Saturday afternoon. Homes in Aberfan will be without a gas supply until the work is complete and residents in the Pentrebach area have also being asked to conserve their usage for the next few days. It is not yet known what caused the blast, but a spokesperson for Wales and West Utilities (WWU) says the company had not ruled out "third party interference." There were reports of children hitting the pipes beforehand. A spokesman for WWU said on Sunday: "The situation in Aberfan remains unchanged and gas users in Pentrebach are still being asked for their co-operation in conserving gas supplies for the next few days". WWU said it was alerted at 1950 GMT on Friday that a medium pressure gas main was damaged and ignited at Cardiff Road. The fire burned for about 20 hours before it was brought under control. WWU said it wanted to thank local people "for their patience and understanding". A spokesman added: "Our engineers are continuing their efforts to restore supplies as quickly as possible".