EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – Three people are dead after an explosion destroyed a home in the 1000 block of N Weinbach in Evansville.
The coroner’s office confirmed this afternoon that three victims passed due to the explosion. Evansville Police Department Sgt. Anna Gray says the entire surrounding area is shut down. EPD reports that N. Weinbach between Columbia and Oak Hill will be shut down for the foreseeable future.
A spokesperson with the Evansville Fire Department believes there could be other victims that are unaccounted for. In total, he says 39 homes were damaged from the blast, 11 of which are uninhabitable. The spokesperson tells us another victim is currently alive and hospitalized. He claims that CenterPoint Energy responded to the area and made no detection of gas. EPD will stay on scene overnight.
Evansville Fire Chief Mike Connelly says units were dispatched at 12:59 p.m, with quick arrival several minutes later at 1:02 p.m. At this time, all fires have been put out. Chief Connelly tells us crews have done searches of houses around the explosion and most of them are empty aside from pets.
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of those killed or injured during the devastating explosion in Evansville today,” said State Representative, Ryan Hatfield (D-Evansville). “I am in contact with local authorities and monitoring this tragic situation closely.”
The Evansville Police Department shared this message on their Facebook page hours after the explosion:
“Our thoughts are with those closely involved with the explosion that happened on N. Weinbach this afternoon.
As more information becomes available the respective agencies investigating will be able to provide more information.
N. Weinbach between Columbia and Oak Hill will be shut down for the foreseeable future, please plan an alternate route.
If anyone has footage of the incident, please forward a copy of the video to our Detectives Unit at whunt@evansvillepolice.com.”
Agencies say the cause of the explosion is unknown and investigation is ongoing. EPD urges people to avoid the area.
Drone footage of the aftermath and video of the initial explosion can be watched below.
This is a developing story.
