Four people are dead and a fifth person is missing after a home exploded Saturday in Plum, Pennsylvania.
Officials say the blast destroyed three structures and damaged a dozen more, the Associated Press (AP) reported Sunday.
Doorbell footage recorded at a house down the street shows the home suddenly blow apart with a loud boom. Flames and smoke are then seen filling the sky as debris falls to the ground:
🚨#WATCH: As Surveillance Footage Captures Devastating House Explosion Resulting in Multiple Fatalities
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 13, 2023
📌#Plum | #Pennsylvania
Witness surveillance footage captured on a ring doorbell shows the devastating house explosion that occurred on a Saturday afternoon in Plum,… pic.twitter.com/99BPR1geRy
In an updated social media post from Saturday, the Allegheny County Government told residents:
At this time, investigators confirm four individuals are deceased and a fifth person is currently unaccounted for. Any additional information regarding the victims will be provided by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Three additional individuals were transported to area hospitals. Two individuals were transported in stable condition and have since been released from the hospital. The third individual remains in critical condition.
Officials said crews planned to resume activities in the area early Sunday.
UPDATE 2: Activities at the site of the home explosion have concluded for the night due to weather and out of safety…
Posted by Allegheny County Government on Saturday, August 12, 2023
Citizens were reportedly trapped underneath the debris after the home blew up and two others went up in flames. Numerous local fire departments worked to put out the fire.
Video footage shows first responders and a few neighbors at the scene where the massive blaze erupted. The windows on a nearby home appear to have been blown out during the blast:
“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,” the AP article said.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the blast.
The area appears to be completely devastated with debris scattered over several neighborhood lots, according to aerial footage of the scene:
Neighbor Rafal Kolankowski said the blast blew out his home’s windows and knocked him and his wife down.
“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,” he said.
