Remains of man, dog found after explosion ‘completely destroyed’ house, damaged others
GLADSTONE, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) - A man, along with his dog, was killed after an explosion completely destroyed a home in Missouri, according to officials.
On May 31, reports of an explosion began surfacing around 11:20 a.m.
Residents living near the home said they could feel the blast, and the smoke was visible for miles.
The shockwave was felt far beyond the immediate neighborhood, according to Calvin Childress. He works at a jewelry store just down the road.
“It was like an atomic bomb. It shook the chair a fourth of a mile away,” Childress said.
“Just a loud boom shook the entire house,” said Kevin Henderson-Long, who was inside during the explosion. “I ran outside, saw the smoke and heard all the sirens coming. There was just debris everywhere.”
Around 2 p.m., the City of Gladstone stated that the area is secure and safe, but just before 4 p.m., the fire chief announced that one person died in the explosion.
Tomlin, the next-door neighbor, said the man who died had lived next to her family for decades and was always kind.
“Just really kind, always waved, always talked. I mean, my husband’s lived next door to him for 25 years. It’s just, yeah, sad,” Tomlin said.
Gladstone police confirmed that the surrounding houses sustained some damage in the explosion, but the original home was “completely destroyed.”
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
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