A massive explosion was reported at a home in Crescent Township, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday morning, with debris being sighted miles away and a hole in the ground where the home once stood.
Context
The neighborhood of Crescent Township is roughly 17 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania, near the banks of the Ohio River. Nearby residents described the neighborhood as small and tight-knit.
What We Know
At about 9 a.m., local authorities received reports of a massive explosion at a home in Crescent Township. Photos and videos from the scene show the home destroyed, with a massive hole left where it once stood.
In the clips, debris can be seen strewn over a wide area, with heavy pieces caught up in tree branches. Residents reported debris believed to be from the blast miles from the scene.
According to neighbors, two people of retirement age were known to live at the house. Law enforcement confirmed to WTAE in Pittsburgh that two people were killed in the blast, though it has not been confirmed if they were the residents of the home.
After the blast, neighbors told WTAE that they had seen a woman on the scene holding a baby, telling people that her parents were the ones in the home.
"First responders are directing traffic," WTAE reporter Ava Rash wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter. "We are waiting for an update from the township. Neighbors tell us two people lived in the home."
Newsweek reached out to local fire officials via email on Tuesday morning for comment.
When reached for comment by Newsweek, the Crescent Township Police Department was unable to comment on the situation due to its preliminary nature but said that more would be shared at a press conference.
Some neighbors said that the home had been hooked up to natural gas. A Columbia gas spokesperson told WPXI in Pittsburgh that crews were at the scene and confirmed that the home was connected to a private gas well, not one of its.
One neighbor told WTAE about seeing a "mushroom cloud" of smoke and fire after the initial blast. Others shared similar accounts of feeling tremors from the explosion in their homes, some miles away, with one resident saying that their photos and paintings were knocked off the walls. Some residents east of the Ohio River reported that they heard the blast and saw the plumes of smoke.
What Comes Next
Local law enforcement plans to hold a press conference about the situation at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Update 3/12/24, 11:26 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
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