Gas Leak May Have Caused House Explosion That Injured 6
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — An explosion blamed on a gas leak destroyed a Dallas family's home Tuesday and injured a woman and her five children, authorities said.
The blast happened after the children's father had gone to work, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Lavender said.
Those who were hurt were taken to hospitals. Lavender said the mother was the most seriously injured, but he didn't have more information about her condition. The children's injuries weren't considered life-threatening, he said.
The single-story residence in the 1600 block of Champagne Drive is a total loss. Only the charred frame of the home was left standing after the explosion. "Bricks were off the house, glass blown across the street. Basically the house has suffered severe damage," Lavender said.
He said they were working with Atmos Energy to determine what happened.
Atmos Energy spokeswoman Jennifer Altieri said utility workers found no indication of a gas leak in its system that would have contributed to the explosion. However, she noted that Atmos investigates only its lines, which run to the house's meter, and that lines from the meter into the home are a homeowner's responsibility. It would be up to fire officials to examine those lines, she said.
Lavender said they are still investigating on the home's property.
Angela Washington, who lives two doors down from the family, told The Dallas Morning News that she heard a "loud boom, like dynamite" and rushed outside. She said the woman and children were running out of their house, which was already completely engulfed in flames.
"They were crying. They were hysterical," Washington said. "I could feel all the emotions they were going through."
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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