The AX Files

81-year-old woman dies from injuries caused by gas explosion

TOPEKA, KS—1/30/2012 While digging to install a sprinkler system in a backyard, a contractor hit a gas line. Shortly after the damage occurred, an adjacent house exploded. The sound of the blast was heard for miles around. Gas company officials heard the blast from a few blocks away and sent crews instantly. Neighbors who lived down the block rushed outside to see what had happened. One resident exclaimed, “My whole house shook. First, I thought the tree fell on my house.” Once outside, insulation was seen raining down onto the tree-lined street, looking like snow. Charred pieces of roofing fluttered onto the sidewalks and nestled in the trees. Thick black smoke poured high into the sky. All that could be seen at the site of the explosion was a giant fireball. The garage door had been blown into the street and a ...