Pennsylvania house explosion victims: 6th person dies at hospital

Table Of Content

• Kevin Sebunia, 55
• New details emerge in Pa. house explosion investigation: DEP
• people are dead and multiple homes destroyed after a house exploded in Pennsylvania
• Find out what’s happening in yourcommunity on the Patch app
• people dead and 1 missing after explosion destroys 3 structures in western Pennsylvania
• Plum House Explosion: Blast Point Of Origin Identified

To this point, there are holds on the three destroyed properties. This means nothing will be done to them, and any demolition would have to be approved by the borough. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office is leading the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire and explosion and the process is expected to take some time.

Kevin Sebunia, 55

The cause is under investigation, though the homeowners had been having problems with their hot water tank, officials said Monday. Three days after the deadly house explosion in Plum's Rustic Ridge neighborhood, crews investigated two gas leaks in Plum's Regency Park neighborhood on Tuesday. Support services will be available to our students, staff, and community members to ensure that anyone who needs assistance can find comfort and guidance.

New details emerge in Pa. house explosion investigation: DEP

Two people injured in the incident were transported to local hospitals and have since been released. Since the explosion, Zarroli has struggled with understanding why it happened. Zarroli and his wife first lived in another house in Rustic Ridge. Plum has yet to receive any applications for demolition of homes in Rustic Ridge, said David Soboslay, the borough’s interim manager.

people are dead and multiple homes destroyed after a house exploded in Pennsylvania

The third person remained in critical condition as of Saturday night. Three structures have been destroyed and at least a dozen more are damaged, including with windows blown out. During the initial response, 57 firefighters were treated on the scene for "minor issues" and all returned to duty that day, officials said. Paul Oravitz, 56, died earlier Wednesday at a local hospital, Plum Borough officials and the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner said. The borough also has not yet received any applications for alterations to any houses there.

6th person dies in Pennsylvania house explosion; victims named, blast under investigation - USA TODAY

6th person dies in Pennsylvania house explosion; victims named, blast under investigation.

Posted: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

My Administration and @PEMAHQ are coordinating with and supporting county and local emergency responders. Pennsylvania fire officials are still investigating the cause of a house explosion which left five people, including a child, dead and several other homes damaged, officials said Monday. Emergency responders reported people trapped under debris after one house apparently exploded and two others were engulfed in flames, county spokesperson Amie Downs said. PLUM, Pa. (AP) — Four people were dead and a fifth was unaccounted for following a house explosion in western Pennsylvania that destroyed three structures and damaged at least a dozen others Saturday morning, authorities said. PLUM, Pa. — Five people were found dead after a house explosion in western Pennsylvania that destroyed three structures and damaged at least a dozen others, authorities said Sunday.

Find out what’s happening in yourcommunity on the Patch app

The DEP said inspectors found detectible concentrations of combustible gas throughout the Rustic Ridge area on Aug. 14, but the gas is no longer detectible in soil near the incident. Isotopic samples, which help to identify molecular signatures, were collected Aug. 14 by the DEP and Peoples from soil and a nearby Peoples meter. The home at 141 Rustic Ridge was owned by Paul and Heather Oravitz, and all six victims were inside that home when it exploded.

Despite that, he described most of the damage as cosmetic, such as plaster, drywall, cracks and popped nails. “We walked through and he confirmed that the house is structurally sound, but there is a lot of cosmetic damage to it,” Hubner said. The explosion’s force hit the left front corner of his house first and hardest, sending a shock wave through to the other side.

Heather Oravitz, 51

According to authorities, at least three "structures" were destroyed with at least a dozen houses damaged, including windows blown out. Upon arriving at the scene, authorities found people trapped under debris and reported that it appeared that one house had exploded while two others were "engulfed in fire," police said. Five people have died, including a teen, following a house explosion in Pennsylvania that caused multiple injuries and several house fires, officials told NBC News. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted that he and his wife, Lori, were praying for the victims, adding that his office was working with state emergency management officials to assist local emergency responders.

Plum house explosion: Victims identified - WTAE Pittsburgh

Plum house explosion: Victims identified.

Posted: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Negrin said the governor has ordered the results of all of the samples taken to be expedited, which means those results could be coming in as early as the end of this week. PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) — The secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said the agency is determined to find out the cause of the deadly house explosion in Plum. Officials were back at the scene Sunday morning, and a news conference was scheduled for noon, the Facebook post said. Two were stable when they were transported and were released, and the third was in critical condition, they said. Officials told reporters at the scene they did not know exactly who was at home and who may have had visitors at the time of the explosion, so they could not provide an exact number of people considered missing. Wednesday, Paul Oravitz, 56, died in the hospital from his injuries, Allegheny County officials confirm.

Thomas was the borough manager and Heather Oravitz was the community development director. Lanny Conley, the chief of the Plum Borough Police Department, said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that four adults and one adolescent had died and been recovered from the scene. In 2008, a house exploded along Mardi Gras Drive in Plum, killing a man and seriously injuring a 4-year-old girl. The National Transportation Safety Board investigated and discovered it was caused by a two-inch gas line that was damaged and then failed five years later after it corroded. There are a lot of questions surrounding Saturday’s house explosion, which is the third house explosion in Plum over the last 15 years. His daughter Emily told us her dad truly had a heart of gold, and that he was the most selfless man and offered a helping hand to everyone.

But, Allegheny County is asking people to avoid the area if they have no reason to be there. "In the meantime, we are bringing all of our resources to bear to help the Allegheny County fire marshal," Peoples Gas President Mike Huwar said. Allegheny County officials say that the investigation could take months or even years. Following the explosion, utilities were shut off due to safety concerns, but electricity has been restored to all but the immediate area surrounding the blast.

Four adults and one adolescent were also recovered from the debris, officials said.

As investigators try to figure out what caused a house explosion in Pennsylvania that killed six people, their loved ones are reeling from the unimaginable loss. In addition to those resources, the Plum Senior High School is open Monday and Tuesday, offering support services for students, staff, and community members. In a release late Monday, the county said the home where the explosion happened was having "hot water tank issues." The tank was in the basement. Walsh said the district will open its doors to students, staff and the community for support services. All day Tuesday, crews with Peoples Gas were out along Rustic Ridge Drive, with a blue tent set up and an excavator, digging in a yard roughly three houses down from the home that exploded. We’re told Peoples Gas drilled holes on either side of the line and they’re testing the line.

Five people were recovered from the scene, including one child, after the explosion. 57 firefighters were treated at the scene due to “minor issues.” They were treated at the scene and then went back to work. Officials have said one was found outside a garage, four were in the basement and the sixth was located and rescued from the rear yard. He was taken to a trauma center where he died several days later. Eighteen fire departments responded to the scene, which remains active. Allegheny County Emergency Management officials and the Allegheny County Fire Marshals are at the scene as well.

Now technicians will go door to door to conduct a safety check and relight appliances. If residents aren't home, Peoples Gas said workers will leave a door hanger with customer service contact information and crews will be available on a 24/7 basis until service is fully restored. On Sunday night, an officer monitoring the site noticed that a hotspot had begun smoking. Fire crews arrived and spent an hour spraying down the debris. Any resident who has questions about gas service in the neighborhood can find updates here.