Two individuals were tragically discovered deceased following a devastating house explosion and subsequent fire that occurred in Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning, according to authorities.
The explosion rocked Crescent Township, located just outside Pittsburgh, with reports emerging at 8:54 a.m., as confirmed by local officials.
Witnesses described a scene of utter destruction as the home was obliterated by the blast, with flames engulfing the remnants of the structure and spreading along the nearby hillside, officials reported.
“We all felt and heard the explosion,” stated Allegheny County Division Fire Chief Andrew Tomer during a press briefing. “You could feel it in your chest.”
Fortunately, no additional injuries have been reported, Tomer reassured.
Eyewitness accounts painted a vivid picture of the chaos that ensued. John Bundy, an employee at a nearby factory, recounted mistaking the explosion for a vehicular collision before witnessing the towering mushroom cloud that followed.
“We saw, like, a mushroom cloud explosion,” Bundy recounted.
He and his nephew, along with other concerned citizens, rushed to the scene in an attempt to render aid. Bundy described the heroic efforts of one individual who braved the flames, desperately searching for survivors.
“We did see a lady come out of her house with the windows all blown out, and she was holding a baby,” Bundy recounted. “She said her parents lived [at the house that exploded]. And we went to her right away because obviously, you know, she needed consoling. And, it was just a bad scene.”
Tomer emphasized the extent of the devastation upon arrival at the scene, with the entire property reduced to rubble.
“The whole lot was just completely leveled — nothing remaining,” added Logan Barcia, Bundy’s nephew.
In addition to the leveled home, at least two other nearby residences sustained damage in the explosion, Tomer confirmed.
Investigations into the cause of the explosion revealed the presence of natural gas and propane on the property from private wells, further complicating the aftermath of the tragic event.