Indiana home explosion leaves three dead, thirty nine houses damaged

Indiana home explosion leaves three dead, thirty nine houses damaged
Security footage captured the moment a massive house explosion killed three people and damaged at least 39 homes in the southern Indiana city of Evansville.

The blast was reported around 1 p.m. on Wednesday and had a 100-foot radius, Evansville Fire Department Chief Mike Connelly said. Police have shut down North Weinbach Avenue, where the explosion occurred, along with neighboring streets that could be seen strewn with debris.
A total of 39 houses were damaged by the explosion, but Connelly said the department has not confirmed how many of the houses were occupied when the explosion happened because 'some were too unstable to enter.'

At least 11 of the 39 homes damaged in the explosion are 'uninhabitable,' Connelly told the Evansville Courier & Press.

'Debris is strewn over a 100-foot radius,' including 'typical construction materials' such as wooden boards, window glass and insulation, Connelly said.

Authorities are continuing their search of area, but Connelly warned there could be more victims.

The identities of the people who died would not be released until the next of kin has been notified, Dave Anson, chief deputy coroner for Vanderburgh County, told The Associated Press.

Evansville Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray said at least one other injury was reported and that victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The cause of the explosion has not been determined, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.

Aerial video posted on social media shows damage in a residential neighborhood with police and fire vehicles on the scene in Evansville, on the Kentucky border.

CenterPoint Energy, the local gas utility, was last called to the home in January 2018, Connelly said. CenterPoint issued a statement saying it 'worked with first responders to secure the area.'

'CenterPoint Energy is working closely with the Evansville Fire Department, State Fire Marshal and other agencies as the investigation of this incident continues,' the utility said.

Photos posted by the Mayor Lloyd Winnecke shows the destruction of the explosion with pieces of homes scattered across the neighborhood and emergency workers sifting through the de