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House explosion in Somerset causes evacuation of neighbourhood

by Amy Judd | February 19, 2009 at 04:36 pm

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Reports that a house has exploded in Somerset Massachusetts have caused an evacuation of the entire neighbourhood. The home has been completely destroyed and some nearby have suffered damage as well.

Casualities have been reported.

The Chace Street School has been opened for those residents being evacuated. There is no information as to what caused the explosion or if anyone has been injured in the blast. Police authorities are not confirming much information on the incident at this time.

It is thought that natural gas crews were in the area at the time of the explosion but it is not known if this is what caused it. Firefighters are at the scene.

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Sanjay Jha

at 21:21 on February 19th, 2009

Latest report says that the explosion possibly caused by a gas leak leveled a home Thursday evening had killed a woman and her dog and damaging at least two nearby houses.

Selectmen Chairman William Meehan said he had been informed by the chief of police that one person had died in the explosion. (The Associated Press said it was a woman, who lived there, as well as her dog.)

Meehan said the house had been totally leveled by what officials believed was a gas explosion. In addition to the house that exploded, at least two other houses sustained what he said was "serious damage."

“Everything is under control, but we are evacuating the neighborhood,” he said. “Power is out. … We’ve killed the power in this particular area.”