A Maryland man who was planning to put his home on the market died in a massive explosion that destroyed the house and also killed a utility contractor as firefighters were heading there to investigate a reported gas leak.
The body of homeowner Ray Corkran Jr., 73, was found in the rubble of his house in Bel Air, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore, hours after it was blown apart by the blast around 6:45 a.m. Sunday, according to reports.
"He was actually preparing to list his home for sale today. He was actually prepared to meet with a realtor today and list that home," Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said, local TV station WBAL reported Monday.
The body of Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, 35, a contractor for the Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., was found dead at the scene shortly after first responders arrived and a next-door neighbor suffered minor injuries.
Twelve families were displaced by the blast, which showered debris on the street and neighboring lawns.
Chuck Laubach, who lives nearby, likened the force of the explosion to a bomb going off.
"All the doors blew open, front door blew open, the basement doors blew open, the back door blew open," he told WBAL.
Laubach also said the front door of Corkran's home "actually went above the house next door and landed in our backyard."
Rodriguez-Alvardo was part of a team that was "responding to an electric service matter at the time of the incident," BGE said in a statement.
Witness Dieter Thomann told WBAL that said another worker "screamed to me, 'I can't find my partner.'"
Firefighters were dispatched to the area around 6:40 a.m. for a report of a gas leak and the smell of gas, Alkire said Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
As they approached, officials began receiving calls that the house had exploded, Alkire said.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, BGE and the National Transportation Safety Board, which has jurisdiction over gas lines, are reportedly investigating the cause of the blast.
