A man and woman were found dead at the scene of a “severe” house explosion in Pennsylvania Tuesday morning that damaged two other homes, authorities said.
Officials in Allegheny County received multiple calls at 8:54 a.m. for a house explosion on Riverview Road in Crescent Township, just outside of Pittsburgh.
The first unit arrived on the scene a few minutes after the call to find the home “completely leveled by some type of explosion,” Allegheny County Division Fire Chief Andrew Tomer said at a news briefing.
He said there was a fire throughout the foundation and a fire alongside a nearby hill.
As authorities searched for the occupants of the home, they found the bodies of the man and woman, Tomer said. The medical examiner will release their identities.
No other injuries were reported.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Tomer told reporters that there was “natural gas on site from a private well” and propane from a private well.
The blast was felt throughout the area, Tomer said, calling the explosion “severe” and “absolutely extreme.”
“We all felt and heard the explosion,” he said. “Instantly, a column of white smoke up in the air followed by a thick column of black smoke. [It] was a very significant explosion. You could feel it in your chest, you could definitely feel the explosion.”
NBC affiliate WPXI of Pittsburgh reported that homes several miles away were damaged. Tomer said at least two other homes suffered damage but did not say how close they were to the explosion site.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
