Current:Home > InvestHomeowners were having issues with hot water tank before deadly blast in Pennsylvania, officials say -Infinite Edge Capital
Homeowners were having issues with hot water tank before deadly blast in Pennsylvania, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-17 01:33:26
PLUM, Pa. (AP) — The owners of a home that exploded in western Pennsylvania last weekend were having issues with their hot water tank, authorities said, but the cause of the blast that killed five people — including two municipal officials — remains under investigation.
The explosion in Plum destroyed three structures and damaged at least a dozen others. It occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. Saturday at a home owned by Heather Oravitz, the town’s community development director, and her husband. The town is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh.
Plum Mayor Harry Schlegel said Oravitz, 51, and Plum Borough Manager Michael Thomas, 57, were killed in the blast, along with three others who lived in the neighborhood: Kevin Sebunia, 55; Casey Clontz, 38; and Clontz’s 12-year-old son, Keegan.
Oravitz’s husband, Paul, suffered severe burns over most of his body and remained hospitalized Tuesday in critical condition, Schlegel said. Two others injured in the blast were treated at a hospital and released.
Emergency responders said people were trapped under debris when they arrived to the scene. County spokesperson Amie Downs said the blast leveled one house and two others were on fire.
Crews from at least 18 fire departments worked to douse the flames.
Fifty-seven firefighters were treated at the scene for minor issues, according to Steve Imbarlina, deputy director of fire and emergency services for Allegheny County.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Allegheny County fire marshal’s office, along with local law enforcement. The investigation was expected to be a “slow and long process,” Imbarlina said.
The fire marshal’s office said in a statement Monday that it was aware of the reported hot water tank issues at the home. The agency planned to investigate the cause of the blast, with the hot water tank issue in mind, and “along with any and all other possibilities,” the statement said.
Michael Huwar, president of Peoples Gas, said official checks by the company indicated that “our system was operating as designed.”
Gas and electric service had been cut off in the area as a precaution, but a plan was in place as of Sunday to restore services.
veryGood! (76569)
Related
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Heartland Launches Website of Contrarian Climate Science Amid Struggles With Funding and Controversy
- Maryland Climate Ruling a Setback for Oil and Gas Industry
- Humanity Faces a Biodiversity Crisis. Climate Change Makes It Worse.
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Singer Jesse Malin paralyzed from the waist down after suffering rare spinal cord stroke
- Warning: TikToker Abbie Herbert's Thoughts on Parenting 2 Under 2 Might Give You Baby Fever
- Clues to Bronze Age cranial surgery revealed in ancient bones
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Stone flakes made by modern monkeys trigger big questions about early humans
Ranking
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Fracking Ban About to Become Law in Maryland
- Alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira indicted by federal grand jury
- San Fran Finds Novel, and Cheaper, Way for Businesses to Go Solar
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Auto Industry Pins Hopes on Fleets to Charge America’s Electric Car Market
- Where there's gender equality, people tend to live longer
- Keystone XL: Environmental and Native Groups Sue to Halt Pipeline
Recommendation
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
High inflation and housing costs force Americans to delay needed health care
Amid Doubts, Turkey Powers Ahead with Hydrogen Technologies
A man dies of a brain-eating amoeba, possibly from rinsing his sinuses with tap water
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
The Truth About the Future of The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Where there's gender equality, people tend to live longer
In Texas, Medicaid ends soon after childbirth. Will lawmakers allow more time?