2 dead after explosion levels 2 homes, damages 18 Indianapolis

[creekshow]

View media item 133666
View media item 133669
http://www.indystar.com/viewart/201...omes-damages-18-others-Indianapolis-Southside

A massive explosion sparked a huge fire and killed two people in an Indianapolis neighborhood, authorities said Sunday. The powerful nighttime blast shattered windows, crumpled walls and could be felt at least three miles away. Officials say as many as 31 homes were damaged so badly they may need to be demolished.

Seven people were taken to a hospital with injuries after the explosion and fire, Deputy Fire Chief Kenny Bacon said.

Bacon also told reporters Sunday investigators haven't ruled out any possible causes of the late-night blast that was heard miles away.

But a congressman who represents the Indianapolis neighborhood says investigators have ruled out a bomb or a meth lab.

The two people killed were an elementary school teacher and her husband, reports CBS affiliate WISH in Indianapolis. Family member confirmed to the station that Jennifer Longworth and her husband Dion Longworth died in the explosion.

Fire Lt. Bonnie Hensley said firefighters put out the flames and then went through the rubble and damaged homes one at a time in case people had been left behind. She said they used search lights until dawn as they peered into the damaged and ruined homes. Two bodies were recovered.

Some witnesses said in televised reports that they heard people screaming "Help me! Help me!" after the explosion and fire and that two parents and two children were safely pulled from one house that caught fire.

The explosion at 11 p.m. Saturday destroyed two houses that were side by side and spread fire to two other nearby homes in the neighborhood on the south side of Indianapolis.

Mark Lotter, a spokesman for the mayor, said about three dozen homes were damaged or destroyed. He said 27 were uninhabitable and another eight had significant damage.

The blast was heard for miles around. Authorities said they had no immediate information on the cause. The fire department and other agencies were investigating.

People who were asleep when the blast happened were evacuated in their pajamas, scooping up their pets as they left, authorities said. They left what some described as a chaotic scene of tall flames rising on the Indianapolis skyline.

Survivors reported shattered windows, caved-in walls and garage doors knocked off their hinges. Of the two homes that were leveled by the blast, Hensley said: "There's nothing left."

Eric McClellan said he ran afterward to the scene of the explosion and saw homes flat or nearly so.

"Somebody was trapped inside one of the houses, and the firefighters were trying to get to him. I don't know if he survived," he said, adding that firefighters ordered him to leave the area.

All power, gas and other utilities in the area were shut off as a precaution as emergency officials swarmed the site.

About 200 people were taken to an elementary school, where some milled about in pajamas and coats they had grabbed as they fled. Some had their dogs on leashes, and one woman had evacuated her home with a cat. Most eventually left to stay with relatives, friends or at hotels, but 15 to 25 remained through the night, sleeping on cots.

Crazy to say the least. Lucky more people werent killed really by the looks of it. Still no known cause but they have apparently ruled out a bomb or meth lab as the cause. Looks like a damn warzone from the pictures. There is a slideshow in the link with like 50 some pictures of the damage. Hits close to home so I thought id share.

 

[jhawk826]

Probably a gas leak if it wasn't a bomb or a meth lab.

Shame that 30+ families will lose their home and belongings because of this incident.

 

[thecoldest343]

Rip to the victims.What comes to mind is some type of gas leak,meth lab or a suicide?

 

[03silverbullet]

View media item 133666

goddamn!!! my heart goes out to their families.

 

[Mactastic4167]

Probably was a Meth lab

Just MO

 

[jm9312]

Probably was a Meth lab
Just MO

Probably didn't read the article.
But yea I live a good 10 miles from the explosion and it shook our house. We had no idea what happened, just heard a huge BOOM and it sounded like a truck drove into out living room. RIP to the teacher and her husband that lost their lives.

 

[the hater boxden]

amazing picture, so tragic.

 

[pyboy28]

wow those pics are crazy...RIP to the couple that lost their lives...but glad no one else was really hurt after such a huge blast.

 

[young handsome]

 

[mr marcus]

gas leaks aint no joke.....always said I'm going the electrical route if I ever buy a house 

 

[friscosfinest]

Probably didn't read the article.
But yea I live a good 10 miles from the explosion and it shook our house. We had no idea what happened, just heard a huge BOOM and it sounded like a truck drove into out living room. RIP to the teacher and her husband that lost their lives.

from what i read online, people as far as 15 miles felt their house shake.. is that even possible? could it have been caused by an earthquake or something?

 

[Nawzlew]

Probably didn't read the article.

But yea I live a good 10 miles from the explosion and it shook our house. We had no idea what happened, just heard a huge BOOM and it sounded like a truck drove into out living room. RIP to the teacher and her husband that lost their lives.

from what i read online, people as far as 15 miles felt their house shake.. is that even possible? could it have been caused by an earthquake or something?

If it was an earthquake there would probably be more damage.

 

[b20 eg8]

Def. not the cause of an eathquake.

.... and I'm not buying it was a gas leak either..... There would have had to have been so much gas piling up in this house with every crack in the house sealed up for it to do this much damage and have people up to 15 miles away feel the blast. I feel there was def. some sort of foul play going on here.

Whatever the case may be RIP to those that are gone and hope for a safe and speedy recovery to those in the hospital.

 

[jthagreat]

Thats crazy. RIP

 

[airthompson]

gas leaks aint no joke.....always said I'm going the electrical route if I ever buy a house 

True, it has fewer problems. But you can't avoid accidents entirely regardless.

RIP

 

[tr1ll]

Thats nuts!

RIP

 

[young halo]

San Bruno, CA all over again

 

[BALH ENH]

My moms house has a gas leak in her furnace. Ive been trying to get the repair man over there to do something about it but she won't let them in because "its still working". This is the **** i fear will happen

 

[coldcity]

good god :x

hopefully all the affected families can be placed safely

 

[creekshow]

My moms house has a gas leak in her furnace. Ive been trying to get the repair man over there to do something about it but she won't let them in because "its still working". This is the **** i fear will happen

Show her this thread fam

 

[maddog345]

Those pictures are shocking.

My prayers go out to the victims.

 

[elpablo21]

Damn 

RIP to the two who died

 

[rellireloaded]

San Bruno, CA all over again

That San Bruno explosion leveled an entire neighborhood not just a few homes.  Something else happen here. 

 

[rellireloaded]

Just ran across an update of this on Yahoo.  Ish is cold blooded. 

They just deemed it a homicide, and the people that lived next to the couple just happened to not be at home when it all went down including their cat. 

In the comments someone said that a paper in Ind. is reporting that the people that conveniently happened to be not at home were way behind with their house note. So it's believed that they were trying to get down on the old scamaroo, and murdered two Innocent people in the process.

The negligence of people now a days is scary.  I guess they didn't weight out all the pros and cons.  I can't wait for the gavel to come down on these morons.

http://news.yahoo.com/ind-home-explosion-now-homicide-investigation-232646565.html

 

[jhawk826]

Was going to post that now its being looked into as a criminal matter.

The things that people do to get over