Share

House explosion kills 1, injures 2 in southern Indiana city

Share

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) — An explosion leveled a home in southern Indiana early Sunday, killing one person, injuring two others and leaving several nearby homes uninhabitable, authorities said.

Hours after the explosion shattered windows across a Jeffersonville neighborhood and sent debris flying onto roofs, lawns and cars, officials had not said what they believe caused the explosion.

Indiana State Police, Jeffersonville police and firefighters were at the scene, along with crews from Vectren, a natural gas provider.

Jeffersonville police Lt. Isaac Parker told The Courier-Journal that the house exploded just before 5 a.m. Sunday in the Ohio River city just north of Louisville, Kentucky. He said one person was killed and two others were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Officials haven’t said if the victims were inside the house that exploded. Aerial footage showed the home’s foundation and what appears to be its basement, covered with debris.

Trending:
Fani Willis Throws a Tantrum to Jim Jordan as Contempt Deadline Arrives

The images were reminiscent of photos following a house explosion in an Indianapolis neighborhood in December 2012 that killed two people and damaged or destroyed more than 80 homes. Authorities concluded that Mark Leonard had tampered with a gas line to blow up his girlfriend’s home so they could claim insurance money.

Leonard died in prison last year.

Sgt. Jason Ames with the Jeffersonville Fire Department said the explosion Sunday had affected about 20 homes in the Capitol Hills neighborhood. He said it was felt up to 5 miles (8 kilometers) away and that the house where it occurred suffered “catastrophic” damage.

Ames did not immediately return a phone message seeking additional details.

Fire Chief Eric Hedrick said the house where the blast occurred was largely destroyed and five to six nearby homes were left uninhabitable due to damage.

William Short, who lives across the street from the house that exploded, said he was in bed when he heard the explosion.

He said he looked outside and saw what appeared to be fireworks before a second blast shattered his windows, blew off his front door and cracked his ceilings. Short looked outside again and saw from the light of a burning car that his neighbor’s home was gone.

“You don’t never think you’re going to wake up and see your neighbor’s house completely gone,” he told The Courier-Journal.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation