US: Massive house explosion in Pennsylvania kills 4, destroys other houses

A massive explosion in a house in Pennsylvania, USA has killed four people and destroyed three houses. The incident took place on Saturday (August 12). One person is still missing after the apparent explosion. It has caused damage to at least a dozen other homes, as per local media.

The local police have said that all rescue efforts have been suspended till Sunday (August 13) morning because of weather and nightfall. Media has reported that the police are investigating the incident.

CNN reported that first responders who rushed to the site, a borough in Allegheny County, found that five people were trapped under the debris. The responders took three people to a hospital. Alleghent County officials reportedly said that one of these people is in critical condition.

When the house exploded and neighbouring two houses were engulfed in flames crews from 18 separate fire departments converged on the scene to battle the fire and to search the rubble.

It was not clear immediately what caused the explosion.

“I heard this ‘boom.’ It was so loud that it woke me up. I thought it was thunder from the storms last night,” neighbor Alexis Typanski, a neighbour, told WTAE.

“My water bottle fell on me instantaneously. I was shaking. It scared me so bad.”

The county said that by 4:30 pm local time, the area was still considered an "active scene". Plum, the borough in the county where the tragedy took place is about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Local authorities said at a news conference that multiple representatives from different gas companies were present at the scene and that the gas was turned off while the emergency crew worked at the scene.

The county has said that The Red Cross and Salvation Army were helping residents who were impacted by the explosion.

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