Officials say an investigation looking into the cause of the explosion could take months, maybe even years.
Five people were killed and several others injured after a house exploded in a Pennsylvania suburb.
Officials responded to a report of a house explosion that caused multiple injuries and set the surrounding houses on fire around 10:23 am on Saturday, according to the Allegheny County Government.
Recorded footage from the explosion shows flying wreckage from the explosion hitting a home a few doors away. The blast was even heard in another video from a ball field two miles away.
Three homes were destroyed, and 11 other homes may have to be demolished.
When first responders arrived, they found several people trapped under debris.
Two of the deceased were identified as Casey Clontz, 38, and his 12-year-old son Keegan, who died in a house close to the one that exploded.
“Their smiles and laughter filled their family’s and friends’ hearts with joy that can never be replaced,” their family said in a post.
The other three deceased have not been named.
Three people were transported to the hospital, and since then two have been treated and released while one remains in critical condition, the release said.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help support the families of those who lost their lives in the home explosion.
Officials said 18 different fire departments responded to the scene. After assisting with the explosion and surrounding house fires, 57 firefighters had to be treated for minor issues, most of which were heat exhaustion, CBS News reported.
Firefighters say they heard bullets exploding in the burning wreckage. A survivor reportedly told them there was ammunition stored in the house that exploded.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, a process that officials say could take months and maybe even years to complete.
“People lost their lives and we don’t have answers. We need answers for these families. We need answers for this community,” authorities said.
