Emporia home explosion that killed two was accidental, caused by natural gas

EMPORIA (KSNT) – Law enforcement has released additional information following a house explosion in Emporia in June.

Christine Torrens with the City of Emporia said in a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 2 that authorities with the Emporia Fire Department, Emporia Police Department and the Kansas State Fire Marshal have finished their joint investigation into a deadly house explosion that killed two locals. She said the investigators found the detonation was an “accidental natural gas explosion” that came from within the home.

“The Emporia Fire Department extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragic event. At this time, no further updates or releases will be issued regarding this incident.”
Christine Torrens press release excerpt

Firefighters were called just before 5 p.m. on June 18 to a home in the 1800 block of East Sixth Avenue on reports of an explosion. Police later identified Darrell Bontrager, 78 and Terry Bontrager, 73, as the victims of the explosion.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf


Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading