Mar 12, 2024

One Injured in Ohio Apartment Gas Explosion

Burning Building

A Dec. 2 gas explosion in Middletown, Ohio, left one woman severely injured, Fox 19 reported. The blast happened in an apartment complex around 11:30 a.m. on the 400 block of Cribbs Avenue. According to her father, the woman who was injured, 31-year-old Brittany Vanderpool, reported a gas smell to building maintenance officials a few days prior but was told there was nothing wrong with the system following an inspection. Her father claimed she woke up briefly and smelled gas again shortly before the explosion. Duke Energy said its technicians tested the natural gas lines for leaks but did not detect any.

An investigation by the Middletown Division of Fire found that there was a natural gas leak from the piping inside an apartment where the explosion occurred. The investigation further found that the furnace ignited the gas, causing the blast, which had intense-enough pressure to partially collapse the building. The damage made six apartments uninhabitable. Fire officials have ruled out criminal activity, and the investigation is ongoing.

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