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Pa. firefighters rescue man in fatal house explosion

Authorities are investigating a propane leak as the cause of a fatal house explosion in Jefferson Township

Fatal House Explosion-Pennsylvania

Firefighters work at the scene of a deadly house explosion in Jefferson Township, Lackawanna County, Pa., Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Christopher Dolan/The Times-Tribune via AP

Associated Press

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — An explosion that leveled a home in northeastern Pennsylvania, killing a woman and leaving a man seriously injured, was apparently caused by a propane leak, state police said.

The blast in Jefferson Township, near Scranton, was reported around 2 p.m. Tuesday. It sparked a fire that sent thick smoke spewing high into the air and sent debris flying through the residential neighborhood.

A 75-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while a man was pulled from the home and taken to a hospital. Details on his condition were not disclosed.

The source of the propane leak and what caused it to ignite remains under investigation, state police said.


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