OMAHA, Neb. (KGFW/AP) — Fire officials say an explosion that leveled a home in Omaha, Nebraska, has left two people dead and two others critically injured.
Omaha Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick says firefighters responded to the explosion shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Fitzpatrick says the house was leveled and completely destroyed. The explosion also caused significant damage to homes on either side of the house.
The blast in south-central Omaha rained splintered lumber and other debris throughout the neighborhood, and witnesses say it was felt and heard miles away.
The Omaha World Herald reports a mother and daughter, 74-year-old Theresa Toledo and 45-year-old Angela Toledo, were killed. 72-year-old Larry Rodriguez and 28-year-old Alexander Toledo were transported to Nebraska Medical Center.
A dog was also found dead and firefighters gave oxygen to another.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. However, just the day prior, Theresa Toledo filed a restraining order against Alexander, who lived in the basement. She wanted her grandson removed, fearing he’d start her home on fire. She wrote that he had been using methamphetamine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and “talks to himself.”
A judge granted the domestic abuse protection order that same day.
