PRINCETON, Ind. (AP) — A house explosion in southwestern Indiana that injured three people has been traced to a heater that began leaking natural gas during maintenance work, authorities said.
4 people were contained in the two-story home when it was heavily damaged by Tuesday’s explosion in town of Princeton, leaving two people hospitalized with burns while a 3rd person complained of back pain, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and State Fire Marshal said.
Princeton Fire Territory Chief Nick Medler said two maintenance personnel were working on a wall-mounted gas heater on the house’s second floor when it malfunctioned, causing the gas leak.
“In messing with that furnace, we’ve come to this incident,” Medler told WFIE-TV on Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security and State Fire Marshal said the leaking gas was by chance ignited, causing the explosion in town about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Evansville.
Political Cartoons
Medler said Thursday that investigators couldn’t determine what ignited the gas. He said the house’s occupants were “very fortunate” because they suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Medler said the house’s 4 occupants were in a position to walk out of the damaged residence on their very own after fire crews arrived on the scene Tuesday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material will not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.