7°c Clear
N/A°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Blast kills 2, crumples area housing
Firefighters work the scene where an explosion has killed two people and damaged more than a dozen homes in the Richmond Hill subdivision, late Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger) NO SALES (CP)
PHOTOS BY Matt Kryger / The Associated Press ABOVE: An aerial photo shows the two homes that were demolished by an explosion in Indianapolis Saturday. About three dozen homes were damaged or destroyed and two people were killed, authorities said Sunday. ABOVE RIGHT: Firefighters were surprised to come across a big blaze. (CP)
INDIANAPOLIS -- A massive explosion sparked a huge fire and killed two people in an Indianapolis neighbourhood where about three dozen homes were damaged or destroyed, authorities said Sunday. The powerful nighttime blast shattered windows, crumpled walls and could be felt at least five kilometres away.
Aerial photographs of the once-tidy neighbourhood of one- and two-storey homes showed at least two had been reduced to blackened pits of debris. Other homes had sections gutted by fire or holes in their roofs or exterior walls. Siding dangled from the outside of other homes, and crumpled garage doors hung from houses nearby. Pieces of wood and other building materials littered the street and surrounding properties.
It wasn't clear what caused the blast about 11 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters responding to a call about a single house fire were surprised by a much bigger blaze. The fire centred on four homes, two that were levelled and two others that only had the frames standing by the time the flames were extinguished, Deputy Chief Kenny Bacon said.
The damage extended two blocks in every direction, he said, and fire officials didn't initially realize the extent of it in the darkness. City and fire officials said Sunday afternoon about two dozen homes were uninhabitable and would have to be torn down. Several more had severe damage but could be fixed.
Residents described a loud boom that shook their homes, blew out windows and collapsed ceilings. They rushed outside to find a chaotic scene with flames rising against the Indianapolis skyline to the north.
Bryan and Trina McClellan were at home with their 23-year-old son Eric when the shock wave from the blast a block away shook their home. It knocked out the windows along one side of their house, and their first instinct was to check on their grandchildren, two toddlers who were in the basement. One held his ears and said, "Loud noise, loud noise."
Eric McClellan said he ran to the scene.
"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 firefighters ordered him to leave the area.
Along with the two people killed, seven people were taken to a hospital with injuries, Bacon said. Everyone else was accounted for, he said.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 12, 2012 A8
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Car bomb kills 11 police, 1 civilian in southwest Pakistan, say police
12:15 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular World
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- 2 UK government officials: Signs London attack was motivated by radical Islam
- Preliminary estimate puts Oklahoma tornado damage at $2 billion; 13,000 homes damaged, ruined
- Gay teen charged for having younger girlfriend
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- FBI: Man killed had become violent during questioning on Boston bombing
- Jury sent to begin deliberating whether to give Jodi Arias life in prison or death sentence
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- High school baseball team lifts car to free 16-year-old girl
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Youth in Stockholm burn down restaurant, torch more than 30 cars in 4th night of rioting
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who intervened in California attack arrested in NJ homicide
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- U.S. envoy punted; Russia alleges spying
- 16 tornadoes wallop North Texas, 6 dead; Habitat homes among many devastated in 1 subdivision
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Bill to alter rules of succession before Kate gives birth nears completion as Lords approve
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.