The cause of a devastating Pennsylvania home explosion remained under investigation as footage from a nearby doorbell camera captured the destruction that took at least five lives.
East of Pittsburgh, the suburban borough of Plum was rocked Saturday morning when a sudden explosion leveled one home and set fire to two others. The blast triggered a response from at least 18 different fire departments as they worked to douse the flames and attempted to rescue those inside, according to the Associated Press.
Tragically, the bodies of four adults and one minor were recovered from the scene in addition to three wounded victims found under debris, one of which was hospitalized in critical condition, explained Plum Borough Police Chief Lanny Conley.
#WATCH: As Surveillance Footage Captures Devastating House Explosion Resulting in Multiple Fatalities
Witness surveillance footage captured on a ring doorbell shows the devastating house explosion that occurred on a Saturday afternoon in Plum,… pic.twitter.com/99BPR1geRy
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 13, 2023
Aerial footage from the suburban street showed the extent of the damage that was said to have impacted at least a dozen homes in the vicinity as well as numerous cars.
#UPDATE: Additional footage from a helicopter reveals the extensive destruction caused by yesterday’s house explosion, which tragically claimed the lives of five individuals, including a child. The explosion’s impact was so powerful that its sound reverberated up to 10 miles… pic.twitter.com/DVKSdTLvCO
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 13, 2023
While an investigation remained underway, at least two of the fatalities were identified in a report from TribLive that named the victims as 38-year-old Casey Clontz and his 12-year-old son Keegan.
A statement from the family expressed, “Keegan and Casey were their most happy when they were spending time at the lake with their lake family and friends. They swam, did boating and loved cruising around in their golf cart.”
“Keegan and Casey will be missed by so many and will continue to be loved by so many, including their family, friends and community,” it added. In addition to other family members, the pair are survived by Casey’s wife Jen Clontz and their 10-year-old daughter Addie.
“This is certainly a sad, sad day and a sad time, for not just the folks in Plum but all the folks in the community and in this region,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) also reacted to the tragedy and said, “Lori and I are praying for family, friends, and neighbors who lost someone in Plum yesterday, and we’re grateful for the first responders who ran towards danger to save lives. The five Pennsylvanians who passed and their families are in our thoughts today. May their memories be a blessing.”
Lori and I are praying for family, friends, and neighbors who lost someone in Plum yesterday, and we’re grateful for the first responders who ran towards danger to save lives.
The five Pennsylvanians who passed and their families are in our thoughts today. May their memories be…
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) August 13, 2023
The nature of the tragedy left a number of families displaced and one neighbor, Rafael Kolankowki, spoke with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and expressed, “It’s just tragic, I mean, it looks like a war zone — it looks like a bomb hit out neighborhood, and it’s just unfortunate.”
Meanwhile, as many suspected a natural gas explosion may have been the cause, during a Sunday press conference Peoples Gas CEO Mike Hewer offered little more than, “At this point, we can share that our system was operating as designed.”
In addition to Saturday’s blast, CBS News reported there had been at least two other house explosions in Plum in the past 15 years, including last year and in 2008.
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