Two people were killed Sunday in a Maryland house explosion that damaged multiple other homes and displaced 12 families.
Officials said a possible gas leak was reported around 6:40 a.m. Sunday morning in Bel Air, a a town in Harford County about about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.
While rushing to the scene, additional reports were made that a house had exploded, Oliver Alkire, a master deputy with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and a second person’s body was found later in the rubble.
A woman in a house next door was injured but received treatment and did not need to be hospitalized.
Photos of the scene showed a debris spread in several directions in a lot with the structure completely leveled.
“I’ve been on the job for nearly 18 years, and this is one of the largest explosions I’ve seen,” Alkire said during a news conference.
One of the people was identified as a contractor for the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. Workers from the utility were in the at a different address investigating an electrical issue, but it’s unknown if that is related to the explosion.
Officials said it was not clear whether the explosion was an accident or intentional.
“We are still vigorously processing the scene at this time,” Alkire said.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office said late Sunday the second body found is the home’s 73-year-old owner, whose name was not released. The house had been for sale.
It’s unclear how many other homes were affected by the blast, but residents a block away reported finding damage to windows.
Another BGE worker was also hurt but their condition is unknown.