State investigators have ruled out the involvement of natural gas from a utility in the explosion that leveled a house northwest of Philadelphia last year, killing five people — four of them children — and injuring two others.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said Tuesday that there is no evidence that public utility natural gas service contributed to the May 26 explosion in Pottstown. Investigators said PECO wasn’t supplying gas to the home and the nearest gas main was near the sidewalk up from the house.
“The focus of any further investigation remains on the interior of the residence, but this is outside the scope of the PUC’s jurisdiction,” the report said.
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“Individual propane service, which is outside the jurisdiction of the PUC, was observed in the rear of the building,” the commission said. AmeriGas had said that one of its propane tanks was at the home in question.
The explosion killed Francine White, 67, Alan Wood, 13, Jeremiah White, 12, Nehemiah White, 10, and Tristan White, 8, authorities said.
Earlier this month, fire destroyed two homes that had been damaged by the blast. The cause of that March 21 blaze hasn’t been announced, but fire officials have said the two events are unrelated.
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