PLUM, Dad. (AP) — Three houses in the center of a recent explosion near Pittsburgh that killed six people will have to be demolished and 10 others are not currently habitable, provincial officials said over the weekend.
The August 12 explosion in Plum razed one home and engulfed two neighboring homes in flames. The 10 uninhabitable homes will need to be inspected by structural engineers for next steps, an Allegheny County spokesman said.
RELATED: Pennsylvania DEP secretary says agency determined to find cause of explosion at Plum house
Investigators from the local fire department’s office are still trying to determine the origin and cause of the explosion in a development about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh.
All of the victims were found on the grounds of the blasted house, an Allegheny County spokesman said. A victim was found outside the garage. Four others were in the basement and the sixth was located and rescued from the backyard. He was transported to a trauma center, where he died a few days later.
RELATED: Plum house explosion is the borough’s third in 15 years
Natural gas from an abandoned underground mine is unlikely to have caused the explosion, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said Friday. Authorities have said the homeowners had problems with their hot water tank and that is part of the investigation into the cause.
Crews from at least 38 fire departments worked to douse the flames, while three police departments and eight ambulance services, from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, also attended the scene.
SEE ALSO: Natural gas alarm maker hopes to prevent more tragedies like the deadly Plum house explosion
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