Deacon In Coma After Blast At Hammond, Ind. Church
(CBS) – A church deacon remains in a coma, following a terrifying explosion at his Hammond, Ind. church earlier this week.
The congregation of Bethel Church of God in Christ was getting ready to serve those in need for the holiday, but now that won't be possible.
CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.
Fences now shutter the church known for always having its doors wide open. Cleanup of rubble continued Tuesday.
"You can replace things -- but not people," member Connie Davis says.
A blast and fire Monday night leveled the church annex and seriously injured Deacon Craig Williams, who was inside setting up for a meeting.
"He smelled the odor of gas and he went to check and he took and hit a light switch and it exploded," another deacon, Lester Stokes, says.
Thanksgiving plans have been cancelled, in the wake of the explosion.
"I had to cancel the order we had coming in because the building is no longer in condition to handle it," Greg Plump says.
Every year, he counted on that hot Thanksgiving meal.
Williams remained hospitalized. The church is trying to gather funds to rebuild.