BEL AIR, Maryland. – According to officials, one person was killed on Sunday morning when a house exploded in Harford County, Maryland.
Harford County firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the home in the 2300 block of Arthur Woods Drive in Bel Air around 7 a.m. after the house exploded.
Neighbors described feeling and hearing the early morning explosion, which damaged several surrounding homes in Bel Air.
Firefighters were called to the scene around 6:40 a.m. because a gas leak was reported and there was a smell of gas outside, said Oliver Alkire, a deputy fire marshal with the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Alkire said as firefighters got closer, they received calls that the house had exploded.
Emergency services immediately began searching for victims and residents were asked to stay away from the area.
Alkire said a home adjacent to the explosion was heavily damaged and a woman in that home was being treated at the scene for her injuries. At least one utility worker at the scene was also injured. Two utility workers were in the area working on a reported electrical problem, but authorities did not immediately say if that was related to the explosion.
Harford County volunteer firefighters and special response teams eventually located one victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office and the gas company BGE responded to the explosion. The Sheriff’s Office is also assisting in the investigation.
Investigators are trying to determine how many houses were damaged and how large the explosion radius was. Firefighters are still searching the rubble for other possible victims of the explosion. Authorities said there was no further danger to the population.
Harford County has set up its hotline for residents to report information about the explosion in Abingdon early Sunday morning. If you smelled gas in the area or your home was damaged by the explosion, you are asked to call 410-838-5800.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
