Five people are dead and three more were injured from an explosion that destroyed several homes in a Pennsylvania neighborhood Saturday morning.
On Sunday,Allegheny County released a statementdetailing the explosion at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive in the city of Plum outside of Pittsburgh, where first responders found “people trapped under debris” as two houses were “engulfed in fire” and a dozen more destroyed “with windows blown out.”
“I heard this ‘boom.’ It was so loud that it woke me up. I thought it was thunder from the storms last night,” resident Alexis Typanski told the outlet. “My water bottle fell on me instantaneously. I was shaking. It scared me so bad.”
WTAE
The statement also reported that water tankers from the counties of Allegheny and Westmoreland, 18 different fire departments and Allegheny County’s Emergency Management and Fire Marshals responded to calls about the explosion.
The statement notes that the state’s Public Utility Commission and People’s National Gas “are working with local officials on a plan for restoration of gas service and will be communicating directly with impacted residents.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
For the time being, the county is urging those to steer clear of the area unless they are residents.
Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office is currently investigating the cause and origin of the fire and explosion, alongside officials on the local, state and federal levels. However, this information is “expected to take quite some time, even months or years,” according to the statement.
source: people.com
