PLUM, Pa. (AP) — A tragic incident occurred in Plum, Pennsylvania, where a house explosion resulted in four deaths and one person still unaccounted for. The explosion, which took place on Saturday morning, destroyed three structures and caused significant damage to at least twelve others. At the time of the blast, three individuals were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, with one in critical condition and two being treated and subsequently released. Additionally, more than 20 firefighters required evaluation due to heat exhaustion.
The deceased victims are expected to be identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. However, operations were temporarily suspended on Saturday night due to weather conditions and safety concerns for investigators. Work at the site is set to resume on Sunday morning.
Emergency responders were initially alerted about people trapped under debris after one house exploded, and two others were ablaze. A county spokesperson, Amie Downs, confirmed this information. Meanwhile, local residents expressed their concern for their impacted neighbors, emphasizing their well-being as the utmost priority.
The flames were eventually extinguished with the assistance of firefighters from at least 18 different departments, aided by water tankers from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. As authorities continue to investigate the cause of the explosion, they face the challenge of determining who was present in the affected homes at the time of the incident, preventing them from providing an exact number of missing individuals. Plum and county law enforcement, as well as the county fire marshal’s office, are leading the investigation, along with support from the state public utilities commission and local utilities.
Eyewitness accounts shed light on the devastating impact of the explosion. George Emanuele, who lived three houses down, reported visiting the exploded home with a neighbor before the fire grew uncontrollable. They discovered a man lying in the backyard and promptly moved him away from the scene. Rafal Kolankowski, who resided a few houses away, mentioned that the explosion shattered the windows of his own home, causing him and his wife to be thrown to the ground.
Kolankowski further revealed that upon recovering, he encountered a woman who had been upstairs during the blast, covered in white ash. However, one individual remained trapped in the basement. Jeremy Rogers, another resident living two doors down, had been out shopping when he received an alert regarding a problem at his house. He witnessed debris flying around and managed to evacuate his family safely. Rogers swiftly re-entered the premises to rescue his dog but could not locate their three cats.
The aftermath of the explosion left Plum resembling a war zone, with the neighborhood severely devastated. Residents are deeply saddened by the tragic incident, as they had interacted with their neighbors just the day before. The full impact of this heartbreaking event continues to unfold as authorities conduct their investigation and the community attempts to recover from the destruction.