A stepfather who stood on a gas pipe after he tried to help his stepdaughter escape during a family dispute, caused an explosion at a hotel in Bremerton, Wash. The explosion at a Motel 6 on August 18 blew back firefighters at the scene at 20 feet, as well as severely injuring a gas company worker who tried to stop the gas leak, according to NBC News.
Police officers were called in to the motel about a family disturbance in relation to a juvenile female who left her home in Brownsville after an argument. Her stepfather found her and took her to the motel "to let everyone cool down and to keep her away from her mother."
The stepfather then decided to help his stepdaughter escape through the second floor window of the motel when the mother showed up.
The stepfather confessed to stepping on a gas pipe, and that his stepdaughter may have also come in contact with the meter. He also revealed that they heard a loud hissing sound after they contacted the meter. The hotel exploded 30 minutes after they drove off, according to Q 13 Fox.
Tonya Hinds, the manager of the motel, and other people saw the gas line leaking, to which Hinds then pulled the fire alarm and implored the guests to leave the hotel.
There were no reports of casualties, though five people were originally thought to be missing after the explosion.
Once the investigation is finished, it will be handed in to the Kitsap County Prosecutor's Office, where it will decide on whether or not criminal charges will be filed, according to The Seattle Times.
