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Associated Press
Evansville, Indiana (AP) — Authorities on Thursday determined what caused a house explosion in southern Indiana that killed three people and hospitalized one.
With Wednesday afternoon's explosion in Evansville damaging 39 homes and destabilizing the structure, Fire Chief Mike Connelly told reporters that all homes are still under construction. He said he had not completed an exhaustive search.
He said 11 of the damaged homes were uninhabitable and had to be demolished.
As of Thursday morning, the names of the dead had not been released. The fourth victim's injuries were not considered life-threatening, Connery said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also investigating.
Evansville sits on the Indiana-Kentucky border. The explosion scattered debris in a 100-foot (30-meter) radius. The debris included construction materials such as wooden boards, window glass, and insulation.
His local gas company, CenterPoint Energy, was last called home in January 2018, Connelly said Wednesday.
"CenterPoint Energy is working closely with the Evansville Fire Department, the State Fire Department, and other agencies as the investigation into this incident continues," said Utility.
It was his second house explosion in the area in just five years. Two people were killed and three injured in a house explosion on June 27, 2017.
Wednesday's blast is reminiscent of the 2012 blast that destroyed or damaged more than 80 of his homes south of Indianapolis and killed two people. A man was convicted of tampering with his natural gas line at his then-girlfriend's house by conspiring to commit insurance fraud.
