Follansbee Explosion Destroys House And Kills Girl, Blast Heard For 10 Miles In W.V.

In Follansbee, explosions leveled a house, killing one girl and injuring several others in West Virginia.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, a natural gas pipeline explosion in Oklahoma could be seen 50 miles away.

Unfortunately, natural gas is apparently the cause of the Follansbee explosion, as well. Witnesses say a neighbor called 911 to report the odor natural gas in the air shortly before the house exploded.

Brooke County Sheriff Chuck Jackson says, “There’s nothing left of the house.” George and Tracy Mozingo were injured along with one of their daughters in the explosion. They had just moved into the house recently according to neighbors. Unfortunately, one of their daughters was apparently killed but police cannot confirm the girl’s identity pending an autopsy.

The Sheriff says they had fire companies investigating the explosion but it was too late:

“I’ve been to a number of these natural gas explosions. This is as bad as anything I’ve ever seen. I don’t have words to describe it.”

The Follansbee explosion not only affected the house that was destroyed. Even six homes close to the explosion are described as being “unliveable.” The sound of the explosion apparently echoed throughout West Virginia and could be heard 10 miles away. Even one witness living a half mile way says his fan blades snapped off from the force of the natural gas explosion.

Neighbor Barbara Bottorf says, “I thought it was World War II. I thought our house fell in.”

Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the first West Virginia natural gas explosion this month:

The only good news is that the danger from the Follansbee explosion is over. Police have surveyed the area and there apparently are no continuing safety concerns, although of course they will continue to investigated what caused the natural gas explosion.