A sudden massive explosion at a Missouri house killed one person and a dog in the city of Gladstone. While the incident remains under investigation, authorities stated that the victim’s body was left “unrecognizable.”
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According to Fox News Digital, the incident took place in a Gladstone suburb, located near Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31. Reportedly, the “powerful explosion” destroyed a single-family residence, causing the deaths of an unidentified person and a dog.
According to Gladstone Fire Chief Mike Desautels, the explosion also damaged an adjacent house. Car windows were shattered, and debris was sent flying across the street. It was Desautels who stated that the body found at the scene was left “unrecognizable.” The victim has yet to be identified.
The Gladstone Fire Department, as per the outlet, found the home “completely destroyed” upon arrival. They managed to put out the fire while also evacuating adjacent homes in the area.
Currently, authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.
Explosion Witnesses
Fire Chief Desautels added that the house explosion’s shockwave was felt in nearby towns. This led to hundreds of reports across the city, with many also witnessing the smoke caused by the fire.
One Gladstone resident, Mandy Ratcliffe, spoke with ABC News and recalled how she felt the neighboring explosion.
“All of a sudden there was a huge explosion that just shook the whole house,” Ratcliffe said. “It was scary as heck. At first, we didn’t know, but then we saw this huge cloud of black smoke just coming up into the air.”
Witness Calvin Childress also heard the explosion and, after running outside, he saw the smoke.
“It looked like they had dropped an atomic bomb,” Childress told 6ABC.
Similarly, Ratcliffe added that the scene was “total destruction” and that the house looked “like splinters.”
According to Fox News Digital, the City of Gladstone sent a voicemail announcing plans to demolish the property.
“This is an emergency message,” the voicemail said. “As soon as the scene is released by the authorities, the city of Gladstone will immediately begin demolition of the property as well as clean up the neighborhood.”