A gas line exploded last night killing five people in an Allentown neighborhood. The explosion destroyed eight homes and left approximately 47 other properties, including businesses, damaged. There were also reports of several minor injuries, including a firefighter who injured his ankle.
The victims were a four-month old infant, a 16-year-old girl, a 69-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man whose identities have not yet been released. The age and sex of the fifth victim is still unknown.
The blast left a huge hole in the ground. According to news reports, it was so intense that it could be felt as far away as Bethlehem and Northampton. Authorities estimate as many as 600 area residents were evacuated, many of them from a nearby elder care and nursing home. The fire burned for several hours and was placed under control early Thursday morning when residents were allowed to return home.
The cause is still being investigated, but initial reports indicated natural gas was to blame. This is the second deadly explosion to rock the Philadelphia region in just weeks. In January, a gas main explosion in Philadelphia killed a PGW worker and injured five others.
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