The tragic house explosion in Harford County, Maryland, has resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left two others injured, CNN reports, citing the local authorities.
Initially, one fatality was reported, but recovery efforts revealed a second victim beneath the debris.
The fire department was initially requested to respond to a gas leak around 6:42 a.m. ET outside the home on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air, where authorities found a victim dead, Oliver Alkire of the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said during a news conference Sunday.
There was an odor of gas in the area and the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company was aware, according to Alkire.
The gas and electric company’s contract workers, who were on the scene when the explosion happened, were initially called to an area nearby to address a separate issue of electrical problems at the time of the incident, he said.
Authorities said it is unclear whether the explosion at the house, which was listed for sale, was intentional or accidental.
“While the victim has to be positively identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, investigators believe it to be the 73-year-old owner of the home,” the Maryland State Fire Marshal said on X of the second victim.
A woman who lived next door was inside her home during the explosion was injured but treated, Alkire said.
Officials will be probing the incident involving special operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local authorities, according to Alkire.
Authorities reported that they are engaged in search and rescue efforts while assessing the full extent of the blast radius.
