Pennsylvania house explosion victims named; home had water tank issues

Table Of Content

• NYC firefighter, 36, dies of heart attack after being fired to pay for migrants -- leaving family with nothing
• AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Pennsylvania’s presidential and state primaries
• Red Cross says multiple people were displaced because of the fire
• Calling all undecided voters
• Owner of Detroit building destroyed in fatal explosion nabbed attempting to flee the US
• Pennsylvania house explosion: 5 dead, including child: Aerial video shows homes destroyed

Officials told reporters at the scene they did not know exactly who was at home and who may have had visitors at the time of the explosion, so they could not provide an exact number of people considered missing. "It's just tragic, I mean, it looks like a war zone — it looks like a bomb hit our neighborhood and it's just unfortunate," Kolankowski said. "I was just with some of the neighbors yesterday, right, and now this happens." Plum and county law enforcement, as well as the county fire marshal's office, are investigating, and the state public utilities commission and local utilities were also at the scene. Officials said the investigation will be a "slow and long process" that could last for months or years. The explosion, which occurred in Plum, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, has killed six people, including a child, and left several homes damaged.

NYC firefighter, 36, dies of heart attack after being fired to pay for migrants -- leaving family with nothing

Two firefighters stand on the debris around the smoldering wreckage of the the three houses that exploded near Rustic Ridge Drive and Brookside Drive in Plum, Pa., on Saturday. The development is on abandoned mine land surrounded by shallow oil and gas wells, some of which have been abandoned. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted that he and his wife, Lori, were praying for the victims, adding that his office was working with state emergency management officials to assist local emergency responders. In Plum, a borough in Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania just east of Pittsburgh.

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Pennsylvania’s presidential and state primaries

“There are three structures destroyed and at least a dozen more damaged in some way,” authorities said. As authorities searched for the occupants, they found the bodies of the man and the woman, Tomer said. Abigail Gardner, the director of communications for Allegheny County, identified the victims as David Mitchell Jr. and Helen Mitchell. He said he checked on his son and then went outside to find a woman covered in white ash.

Red Cross says multiple people were displaced because of the fire

“There are three structures destroyed and at least a dozen more damaged in some way,” authorities said. Gas and electric service was shut off as a precaution, and officials said on Sunday a plan was in place to begin restoring service with electric power expected to be returned to all but a few residences. Rafal Kolankowski, who also lives near the explosion scene, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the blast broke his home’s windows and knocked him and his wife to the floor. “Keegan and Casey will be missed by so many and will continue to be loved by so many, including their family, friends and community,” the family said in a statement to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

A sixth person has died after a house exploded in Pennsylvania as fire officials continue to investigate the cause of the explosion, officials said Wednesday. Three people were taken to area hospitals, including one who was in critical condition and two who were treated and released. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office will provide additional information about the deceased victims, authorities said. Five people, including a child, are dead, after a house exploded in Pennsylvania Saturday morning destroying three structures and damaging several other houses, authorities said.

"Our Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter did respond and provided support to the 19 people impacted by this fire," Stephanie Fox, media relations lead for the American Red Cross National Headquarters told USA TODAY. "Support provided included immediate assistance and caseworker assessment of each families situation and what individual needs they may have." Baltimore County Public Schools says Essex Elementary School is collecting items from the community to give to the family. So far, the school has received generous amounts of clothing, food, and supplies. Patricia Rodolff told WJZ she heard the explosion boom and felt the heat of the flames. "BGE came around and was probing all the areas and all the houses and then they didn't find anything, they said," Michael told WJZ.

She said Paul, 56, and Heather, 51, were "very devoted, very family-focused, dependable and kind." Among those killed were a proud father who gave his daughter away at her wedding last month, a super involved hockey mom and dad who never missed a game, and a 12-year-old boy described as a "1,000% momma's boy." DeFoor, 62, the former Dauphin County controller, was unopposed in his re-election bid in the Republican primary. Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Philadelphia Democratic state lawmaker, got past his primary challenger, positioning him to take on incumbent GOP state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor in the Nov. 5 election. Among the Republicans, Dave Sunday won with 70.4% of the vote, with Craig Williams ended up with 29.6%.

Crescent Township community mourns couple killed in home explosion as investigators seek answers - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Crescent Township community mourns couple killed in home explosion as investigators seek answers.

Posted: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Baltimore County fire officials said they were called to the scene in the Essex community east of Baltimore just after 11 p.m. The explosion in Plum, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, was so powerful that it all but leveled the home and started multiple fires at nearby houses. The cause is under investigation, though the homeowners had been having problems with their hot water tank, officials said Monday. As investigators try to figure out what caused a house explosion in Pennsylvania that killed six people, their loved ones are reeling from the unimaginable loss. Two people have been released from the hospital, while one was listed in critical condition, Imbarlina said, adding that the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

Sixth person dies from injuries suffered in Pennsylvania house explosion

After recovering and checking on his son, he went outside where he said a woman told him another woman had been upstairs and a man was in the basement. The other woman later emerged covered in white ash, but the individual in the basement had not yet exited, he said. The sixth victim, Paul Oravitz, 56, died at a hospital Wednesday morning, county officials said. Police said at least three people were taken to area hospitals with two in stable condition, both of whom have since been released.

Officials were back at the scene Sunday morning, and a news conference was scheduled for noon, the Facebook post said. Peoples Natural Gas said Saturday night on its website that it shut off gas service to about 50 homes in the area as a precaution. He said that gas and electrical services were shut off to most of the area Saturday "out of an abundance of caution" and that officials planned to work to restore some of the services. Lanny Conley, the chief of the Plum Borough Police Department, said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that four adults and one adolescent had died and been recovered from the scene.

The blast destroyed three homes and damaged at least a dozen others, officials said. PLUM, Pa. (AP) — Investigators said Friday the location of an explosion that killed six people and destroyed three houses near Pittsburgh last month was inside one of the homes, ruling out an outside cause. In the race to control the closely divided Congress, first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Summer Lee faces a primary challenge in the 12th District from Bhavini Patel, a member of the Edgewood Borough Council in Allegheny County.