Woman killed, man injured after house explodes on Detroit's east side
A woman was killed, and a man was injured after a house exploded on Detroit's east side Saturday afternoon.
The explosion occurred around 3:49 p.m. on the 19400 block of McCormick Street near Moross Road and I-94.
"The house shook like something blew. Air conditioning fans and debris were all in the streets," said neighbor Jada Baker.
Fire officials say that the homes directly to the left and right of the house where the explosion occurred suffered damage. No one was inside those homes at the time of the explosion, but crews say all three homes are now uninhabitable.
"We have the one house in the middle that exploded, and the two houses on either side of it," said Detroit Fire Department Senior Chief Darnell McLaurin. "The first house on the left, we found nobody in it. The individual that lived in the house next door was already outside, so there were no injuries or issues in that house either, so both of those and all three houses are uninhabitable at that point."
The cause of the incident is currently unknown.
DTE has shut off utilities to the three homes impacted by the explosion. The utility company issued the following statement:
"DTE Energy was called to the scene of an incident on McCormick Street in Detroit on the afternoon of July 5 to turn off electric and natural gas service to help make the site safe. Testing was conducted at the incident site and neighboring homes, and no natural gas leaks were detected. While the cause of the incident is unknown at this time, our team continues to assist local authorities with the investigation.
"Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the injured.
"At DTE, safety is our top priority – for our customers, employees and communities. We urge all residents, in any situation, if you smell or suspect a gas leak to leave the area at once, call 911, then call DTE at 800.947.5000 (or your natural gas provider), to report the situation."
