CRESCENT TOWNSHIP, PA – An elderly couple lost their lives tragically when their house in Crescent Township, Pennsylvania, exploded into flames. The devastating incident took place near Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning.
The victims, identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office as 89-year-old David Mitchell Jr. and 87-year-old Helen Mitchell, were in their house when it ignited. The explosion was reported to have happened at 8:54 a.m., local officials confirmed.
Following the blast, the house was completely destroyed, with flames encompassing the foundation and the surrounding hillside.
Andrew Tomer, Division Fire Chief of Allegheny County, recounted the impact of the explosion at a press conference, “We all felt and heard the explosion. You could feel it in your chest.”
John Bundy, an employee at a nearby factory, felt the impact, “When the explosion happened, I thought either a truck hit our building or something happened within our factory.” Noting the local devastation, Bundy added, “We saw, like, a mushroom cloud explosion.”
Despite being surrounded by a chaotic scene, some onlookers jumped into action, attempting to help out. An unidentified man reportedly “ran right into the flames and was screaming and asking for survivors,” as shared by Bundy.
Bundy also described witnessing a woman come out of her house while holding an infant, saying that her parents lived at the house that exploded.
Two other houses sustained damage as a result of the explosion, in addition to the Mitchells’ residence. The cause of this catastrophic incident remains under investigation.
Tomer mentioned the presence of natural gas and propane on-site from a private well, but the exact relations to the explosion are yet to be announced.