House explosion in Missouri leaves 3 injured
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, police said.
— -- A raging fire and plumes of smoke filled the air at the scene of a house explosion in Missouri today that left three people injured.
Video captured the sounds of explosions as people screamed and ran at the chaotic scene in St. Joseph, Missouri, about 55 miles north of Kansas City. Another video showed the aftermath of the explosion, with fire crews surrounding the demolished home.
The victims, two men and a woman, all suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the St. Joseph Police said.
St. Joseph Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Bangerter said, while the cause of the explosion remains under investigation, individuals who were in the house admitted that they were making smoke bombs and Bangerter said fire crews found fuses and some explosive material at the scene.
John Ham, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told ABC News that the possibility of illegal fireworks is a focus of the investigation. Ham said neighbors allegedly told agents they suspected that the people living in this house were making illegal fireworks.
Bangerter said that natural gas has been ruled out as the cause because the gas company reported that no leaks or gas fires have been detected.
Ham said once the debris is cleared, agents plan to conduct an in-depth examination of the evidence.