Bodies found in Pennsylvania house explosion identified as elderly couple

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The two people found dead after an explosion destroyed a home in the Pittsburgh area near the Ohio River Tuesday have been identified.

The bodies of David Mitchell Jr., 89, and Helen Mitchell, 87, were recovered at the scene, Abigail Gardner, the director of communications for Allegheny County, told NBC News.

Allegheny County emergency dispatchers said the blast in Crescent Township in the northwest Pittsburgh suburbs was reported shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday. Aerial images from the scene showed smoking ruins, with the structure reduced to rubble and some large pieces lodged in trees above.

The explosion “completely leveled” the home, with arriving units reporting “fire throughout the foundation” and along the hillside, Chief Andrew Tomer of the Crescent Township fire department said. A private gas well and two propane tanks on the scene were secured, he said.

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Debris remains after a house explosion on March 12, 2024, in Crescent Township, Pennsylvania. Allegheny County emergency dispatchers said the blast in the Pittsburgh suburbs was reported at about 9 a.m. Tuesday. (Tim Robbibaro/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

Tomer called the blast “severe, absolutely extreme,” adding, “You could feel it in your chest.” He said it was heard and felt throughout Crescent and nearby townships and even across the river. At the fire department, he and others immediately saw “a column of white smoke up in the air followed by a thick column of black smoke.”

Two other homes were damaged, but no other injuries were reported. 

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The blast was described as “severe, absolutely extreme,” and “You could feel it in your chest,” by the fire chief. (Associated Press)

The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Allegheny County fire marshal’s office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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On Aug. 12, a blast in the borough of Plum about 25 miles away in the same county killed six people and destroyed three homes. Authorities said the cause was under investigation, but the explosion occurred inside one of the homes, ruling out an outside cause like wells, pipelines and other utilities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.