Indiana – A horrific explosion in the southern city of Evansville left 3 people dead and 39 homes damaged to such an extent that they were termed “uninhabitable” by the authorities.
According to the authorities, 39 houses were severely damaged by an explosion which happened at approximately 1 p.m.
The Fire Department chief of Evansville, Mike Connelly stated that it is still not confirmed how many houses had occupants at the moment of explosion because “some were too unstable to enter.”
Mike Conelly stated that the explosion caused a 100-foot blast in radius damaging houses in the row.
Connelly also said that about 11 homes are totally uninhabitable in a press conference. As of now, three people have been confirmed dead but the authorities fear that the number could rise.
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke posted about the explosion on social media. Winnecke also stated that the local chapter of the Red Cross has been summoned to reach the scene and provide water and food to the affected people. He also said that the red cross will be assisting people “with sheltering needs.”
The spokeswoman of the Evansville police department, Sgt Anna Gray stated that initially one injury was reported and the victim was rushed off to a local hospital immediately for treatment.
The cause of the explosion has not been determined yet but as per the reports, an investigation has been started by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The police rushed to the explosion scene and shut down the streets nearby. The homes neighboring the crime scene suffered humongous damage and the area was covered with debris.
“There are three deaths reported to us that are a result of the explosion on North Weinbach Avenue,” the police said in a statement.
An eyewitness of the explosion, Jasmine Vickers who was only four blockers away from the explosion site stated that she heard a loud sound at noon time as her building was shocked. She looked outside the window and saw everyone just running. She didn’t know what had happened at the time but immediately helped in evacuating the building.
This is the second time a house has exploded in this area in the span of five years. The last time a house explosion took place was back in 2017 killing two people and injuring three. This explosion was closest to the massive blast that took place in Indianapolis back in 2012 when 80 houses were completely destroyed and two people lost their lives.
