Man taken to hospital with severe burns after explosion levels house in Sewickley Heights
SEWICKLEY HEIGHTS, Pa. (KDKA) — An explosion leveled a house in Sewickley Heights on Tuesday, scattering debris all over the yard and sending one person to the hospital.
Multiple crews from Allegheny County responded to the explosion that happened at a house on Backbone Road. One person suffered severe burns.
Rich Engler, a neighbor who lives a couple of houses away, told KDKA-TV that the explosion happened at a guest house on the homeowner's property. Engler said his house shook when the explosion happened. He ran to the scene and called 911.
"As I got up there, I started shouting, 'Is anybody around, is anybody around, can we help?' And I hear a faint, faint voice saying, 'Help me, help me,'" he said.
"I ran back to look at him and he was in total shock," he added. "I couldn't even believe somebody made it out of that explosion alive and I could see his hands were really burnt up."
In a statement, Columbia Gas said:
"Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania crews have responded to an apparent explosion at 543 Backbone Road in Sewickley Heights, Pa. Columbia Gas technicians are on site and natural gas service to that residence has been turned off as an additional safety precaution. Columbia Gas will work with local fire and police first responders to investigate the cause of the incident. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this incident."
Columbia Gas added that its employees were not working in the area at the time of the explosion and it "does not appear that any Columbia Gas distribution facilities were involved."
"It sounded like a bomb," Will BoJalad of Sewickley Heights said. "I felt a sudden explosion and then maybe two seconds after that it felt like a less quiet vibration."
It is not clear where the victim was when the explosion happened. His condition is not known at this time.
