BEL AIR, Maryland, Aug 12, (AP): Two people were killed and 12 families displaced after a Maryland house exploded Sunday amid reports of a possible gas leak, fire officials said.
Neighbors described feeling and hearing the early morning blast that damaged a number of surrounding houses in Bel Air, a town about about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore.
Firefighters were called to the area around 6:40 a.m. for a report of a gas leak and an outdoor odor of gas, said Oliver Alkire, a master deputy with the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Alkire said that as firefighters were approaching, they began receiving calls that the house had exploded. First responders pronounced one person dead at the scene, and a second body was later found in the rubble.
Alkire said that a home next door to the explosion was heavily damaged, and a woman in that house was treated for injuries on the scene. Two utility workers were in the area to work on a reported electrical issue, but authorities didn't immediately say if that was related to the explosion.
The first victim found was later identified as a contractor for the utility BGE, according to a statement released by Harford County Fire and EMS.
The State Fire Marshal's Office said late Sunday that the second body was found in the rubble of the home at the center of the blast. The person is believed to be the home's 73-year-old owner, but positive identification was pending, according to the fire officials' statement.
Investigators were also working to establish how many houses were damaged and how far the blast radius was. Harford County fire officials said that at least 12 families have been displaced due to damage to neighboring houses. Authorities said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
"I’ve been on the job for nearly 18 years, and this is one of the largest explosions I’ve seen,” Alkire said.