Late Wednesday evening, a new video emerged that highlighted a massive explosion that ended up entirely destroying a house in Evansville, Indiana, which resulted in the deaths of at least three people and significant damage to over 39 other homes.
It was not quite clear as to what caused the massive explosion immediately. One spokesperson for the Evansville Fire Department explained to Tristate that the local gas and electric company, Centerpoint, had not been able to detect any gas after making their wya onto the scene. The spokesperson went on to add that a total of 11 of these houses that were damaged in the blast will be condemned and marked as uninhabitable.
WATCH:
DEVELOPING | At least three people are injured after a house explosion in Evansville, according to the fire department. Several homes were damaged.
📸: Danny Koester pic.twitter.com/WAz8UhG313
— WRTV Indianapolis (@wrtv) August 10, 2022
Mike Connelly, the local Fire Chief, explained as part of a news conference that there just might be even more victims discovered as the search stretches out further. “There could be other victims; we have not completed our search. The buildings are not yet safe to enter,” stated Connelly, going further, “Initial survey of the damage is that 39 houses have been damaged from either severe to minor damage.”
“Our thoughts are with those closely involved with the explosion that happened on N. Weinbach this afternoon,” expressed officials with the Evansville Police Department in a release. “As more information becomes available the respective agencies investigating will be able to provide more information. N. Weinbach between Columbia and Oak Hill will be shut down for the foreseeable future, please plan an alternate route.”
Lloyd Winnecke, the Mayor of the city of Evansville, made his way to the scene along with first responders and posted photos of the area on his Facebook account.
People in the area spoke out about their experiences with the blast, describing the way that their businesses and homes shook when the explosion took place. Vincent Taylor stated to 14 News that he was doing some work on the roof of a nearby house roughly two blocks from the blast area when he heard the explosion happen and saw a cloud of debris start raining down from the sky. Taylor expressed that he got to the scene just moments after the explosion and could only explain what he saw as “total devastation.” “Their houses are totally gone. It’s bad,” he stated.
As explained by officials, most of the houses in the immediate area were unoccupied at the time of the blast other than a few pets. A grand total of eight different agencies made their way to the area by Wednesday evening, and Connelly explained that an investigation into possible arson has already been launched.