Five people have been declared dead and one person is in critical condition after a house exploded in Plum, Pennsylvania, a suburb of the Pittsburgh metro area. The explosion rocked a Plum neighborhood, destroying three homes and damaging twelve others; witnesses reported hearing the blast from over 10 miles away.
🚨#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
Two municipal officials, Plum Borough Manager Michael Thomas and Community Development Director Heather Oravitz, were among the five people killed on Saturday, according to Mayor Harry Schlegel.
NOW: House explosion reported with multiple houses on fire in Plum, Pennsylvania; reports of multiple victims.pic.twitter.com/2Uikb9NKxl
— Dredre babb (@DredreBabb) August 12, 2023
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office is continuing to investigate the cause of the explosion. In a statement issued Monday night, the office confirmed it is aware that the homeowners at 141 Rustic Ridge, the Oravitz home, were having issues with their hot water tank, located in the basement. However, gas crews checked for leakages following the explosion and determined the gas system had been “operating as designed.” Officials indicated that due to the time it would take to conduct forensic and other testing, the investigation could last “months, if not years.”
