Two women from Massachusetts have died after their camper exploded, according to PEOPLE. This camper at a Maine campground blew up while the duo was celebrating one of their birthdays.
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Camper Explodes With 2 Women Inside, Killing Both
The explosion happened on Saturday, July 26, around 12:30 PM local time at the Powder Horn Campground in Old Orchard Beach. The Maine State Fire Marshal made a statement on Facebook concerning the incident.
“Old Orchard Beach Fire and EMS responded and located two adult females with severe burn injuries,” it wrote. “Both individuals were transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland for treatment.”
Firefighters swiftly extinguished the blaze, and the MSFM office was requested to “conduct a post-blast investigation.” Initial findings indicated that LP (liquefied petroleum) gas was leaking into and beneath the park model camper.
They believe that one of the occupants lit a candle, igniting the gas in the air. Despite these findings, this is still under investigation to further analyze the camper’s gas systems.
2 Victims Identified
In an updated statement, the MSFM confirmed the deaths of the two women. They identified the two women as 58-year-old Alesia Ventura-Large from Marlborough and 58-year-old Nancy Pilsch of Leominster.
According to WCVB, Ventura-Large’s husband confirmed the women were celebrating Pilsch’s birthday. It also revealed that the women admitted to first responders that they could smell a “garlic odor” in their camper before the explosion.
“In light of this tragedy, the Fire Marshal’s Office urges the public to consider installing gas detectors in any living space where propane or natural gas appliances are used,” the statement continued. “These detectors can alert occupants to dangerous gas buildup and provide valuable time to evacuate or take safety precautions.”
Pilsch’s neighbor, Steve Bercovitz, spoke to the outlet about the “surreal” incident. “It’s surreal, it’s an absolute freak accident,” said Bercovitz. “I don’t think liquid propane, you can’t smell, like natural gas. There was no way for them to know anything was wrong or happening until one of them lit a candle. And that was, just such a freak accident.”
Allegedly, Ventura-Large’s family owned the 12 to 14-year-old camper. Although there was a smoke detector inside, there was no gas detector.