2 dead in Maryland house explosion, authorities say

(CNN) — Two people have died after an apparent house explosion early Sunday in Harford County, Maryland, northeast of Baltimore, officials said in a post on X Sunday night.

A Baltimore Gas and Electric Company contractor and a 73-year-old homeowner were killed in the incident, a spokesperson with the county’s Volunteer Fire and EMS Association told CNN.

Officials initially reported one person dead and two injured on Sunday, before finding another person dead beneath the rubble.

The fire department was initially requested to respond to a gas leak around 6:42 a.m. ET outside the home on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air, where authorities found a victim dead, Oliver Alkire of the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said during a news conference Sunday .

“However, as they were approaching the scene, they received multiple other phone calls stating that … this gas leak has been turned into … a house explosion,” Alkire said. The blast displaced at least 12 families, authorities say.

There was an odor of gas in the area and the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company was aware, according to Alkire.

The gas and electric company’s contract workers, who were on the scene when the explosion happened, were initially called to an area nearby to address a separate issue of electrical problems at the time of the incident, he said.

Authorities said it is unclear whether the explosion at the house, which was listed for sale, was intentional or accidental.

“We are still vigorously processing the scene at this time,” Alkire said.

“While the victim has to be positively identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, investigators believe it to be the 73-year-old owner of the home,” the Maryland State Fire Marshal said on X of the second victim.

A woman who lived next door and was inside her home during the explosion was injured but treated, Alkire said.

“That was the house that sustained the most damage. However … due to the blast radius, there’s going to be multiple structures,” Alkire said.

A Baltimore Gas and Electric Company worker was also hurt but the extent of their injuries was unclear.

Jeffrey Sexton, a spokesperson for the Harford County Fire and EMS, said the blast was “one of the largest explosions” he had seen.

Officials will be conducting a joint investigation with special operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local authorities, Alkire said.

Authorities said they are conducting search and rescue operations and are working to determine the extent of the blast radius.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.