4 killed in Ohio house explosion
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Four people were killed in a house explosion in Ohio.
According to CBS affiliate WKBN, the call came in around 7:15 a.m. for reports of an explosion on Huxley Road in Ellsworth, which is about 30 minutes from Youngstown. The home was completely leveled.
The blast threw debris about half a mile from the scene and damaged surrounding homes, shifting houses on their foundations, blowing windows in, cracking ceilings and knocking items off shelves, WKBN reported.
"The initial call was for a reported structure fire. That call was then upgraded to explosion. Initial crews on scene reported that the house was completely gone," Ellsworth Assistant Fire Chief Jillian Smith told WKBN. "It was a big scene we had. It was a lot of confusion. The search effort was confusing. So, having all that personnel was a benefit to us."
Several departments responded to the scene, including the Ohio fire marshal, Mahoning County coroner and a cadaver dog, WKBN reported.
One neighbor told the TV station that she couldn't believe there wasn't anything left of the home.
"It was real foggy this morning," she said. "So, you really couldn't see a lot. Then, we saw one neighbor get in his side-by-side with a fire extinguisher going up the road. When we got out to the road, we could see all the debris. You think you're dreaming, you know, it's like, 'OK am I dreaming? No.' So, it's pretty devastating."
It's unclear what led up to the explosion and the cause is under investigation. The victim's names haven't been released.