One dead, one child missing after fire in Michigan
At least one person is dead and a 3-year-old child is missing after a fire and explosion blew up a home in Flint, Michigan, on Monday night, authorities said.
Flint Fire Police Chief Raymond Barton said on Tuesday that two people were rushed from the scene Monday night to area hospitals, where one of them – a 70-year-old man – was taken is dead. The missing child’s father is in critical condition, Barton said.
Another person reported minor injuries following the blast, which destroyed three homes and damaged more than a dozen other homes in the neighborhood west of Flint. WJRT-TV reported.
Barton said a carcass dog from the Michigan State Police and a fire brigade with specialized equipment was searching for the 3-year-old boy.
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Emergency responders were called to the scene around 9:30 p.m. Monday after reports of people possibly being trapped in a home.
Battalion Commander Ramsey Clapper of the Fire Department told WEYI-TV that three nearby homes had been damaged, and there were reports the explosion was miles away. According to the Flint Journal, a warehouse and vehicle also caught fire.
Local station WJRT-TV reported that most of the flames had been extinguished by the end of Monday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Consumers Energy spokesman Brian Wheeler said the company received a call around 9:40 p.m. on Monday about the house explosion and that crews dispatched to the scene turned off electricity and natural gas service for seven. houses, including three that he said were destroyed by the explosion.
Wheeler said Tuesday morning that the utility found no evidence of gas leaks or other problems with the Consumers Energy gas system running to the home that exploded. He said the company is working with local authorities to investigate the explosion.
Contributing: Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY; Related press.