Maine Condo Explosion Leaves One Dead

After an apparent Maine condo explosion demolished a building in Yarmouth early Tuesday morning, the body of a man has been found by emergency crews.

Maine state police have identified the man as Peter Corey, a 66-year-old resident of the upscale condominium complex. Authorities, report AP, have said that two nearby condo residents and a firefighter have sustained minor injuries.

The massive explosion, reportedly felt rumbling all the way across the Maine town, completely leveled one condo. Authorities received their first reports of the explosion at 6:20 am.

At least ten other nearby condos experienced moderate to severe damage.

One Yarmouth resident told AP that when the gas explosion occurred he “initially thought something had hit my house, or a small plane had crashed into the woods.”

Local source, WWLP, reports that the state’s fire marshal is opening an investigation into the cause of the Maine condo explosion, but a propane gas leak is currently the primary suspect.

The Maine Fuel Board, tasked with regulating natural and propane gases, are investigating the incident as well.

The Maine condo explosion has been described as having disintegrated the condominium, with wallboard turning into powder and a spray of debris hitting scattering over the residential community. It could almost be compared to what it might look like if a bomb had dropped from the sky.

This incident is strikingly similar to a natural gas explosion that occurred in a residential neighborhood in Westminster, Colorado, almost two weeks ago which leveled a house and damaged many others. Fortunately no lives were lost.

Authorities will be investigating the Maine condo explosion to confirm whether a gas leak occurred and whether it was negligence or equipment malfunction that lead to the deadly incident.