A gas explosion destroyed a house on Wednesday evening in a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, after a gas main was ruptured. Officials in Lexington reported that the family living in the home sustained injuries, but did not disclose the severity or confirm any fatalities. Further information will be provided once the family has notified their relatives, announced Lexington city administrator Shawnna Funderburk at a press briefing on Thursday morning.
The explosion occurred around 7:45 p.m. when a subcontractor accidentally struck a gas main while installing a fiber optic cable, as stated in a social media update by the city. The blast ignited a fire in the residence and caused damage to multiple nearby structures, according to Funderburk.
In response to the incident, Liberty Utilities has cut off gas supply to the town of 4,500 residents and is currently investigating the cause, relayed the company’s operations director, Jeff McChristian, at the press conference. Repair work is underway, and a timeline for the restoration of gas service to the town remains unspecified.
