Two people were killed, two homes were destroyed and several others were damaged after an explosion Monday morning in Lackawanna County.
There is nothing left of the home where the explosion happened except a pile of rubble. An elderly couple inside was killed. Their son found a way to get out of the burning home.
A crowd of investigators from numerous agencies spent hour after hour on Carmalt Street in Dickson City.
State police, firefighters, the gas company and more were looking through the rubble of what was a house; the home of Frank and Caroline Topolski. Police said they died when it blew up. They had lived in the neighborhood for 50 years. Their daughter showed up after the explosion and neighbors greeted her with hugs and tears.
"I just heard like a loud boom and my whole entire house shook," said neighbor Ashley McNulty.
"My room is actually in the front of the house. It shook my whole bed. I jumped out of bed and I ran downstairs," recounted Kelly McNulty.
Photos show what they saw seconds after they looked outside. Another explosion that rocked the neighborhood even more.
"When I got out, but the time I got out it was a great big explosion. It sounded like an atom bomb," said neighbor Kenneth Pringle.
"We were standing there and all of sudden everything, all of the sudden just engulfed in flames and just like blew up into the air. I've never seen anything like that in my life. It was the scariest thing in the world," Kelly McNulty added. "They were nice people. They really were. I just can't believe anything like this happened to them. It's horrible."
"I couldn't even see the house across the street, it was gone that quick. It just blew up and was gone there was nothing left to it whatsoever," said Jim McNulty.
The McNultys live across the street. Now they look at the damage to their car and their home. The siding was melted that far away.
A home next door to the explosion was destroyed too but several others on the street had damage.
"It was so hot, if you stood on the front porch you'd feel like you were getting burned," Jim McNulty added.
Neighbor Heather Baldoni was rocked awake, then rushed next door to help. "I ran over there, no shoes, asked if they were okay, asked if anyone was in there. I heard a yes, or a yeah," Baldoni said. "I started going toward that voice. I said, 'You've gotta get out of here now. You need to leave now. It's going to explode!'" the fire and smoke forced her to turn around and leave. Another blast knocked her down as she left.
"I didn't see anything. I didn't see air or smoke or anything. I just felt the blast and just went down," Baldoni added.
Firefighters said there was no natural gas to the home. Workers took away a propane tank what was used for heat there.
There are so many questions remaining about the early morning blasts that killed the elderly couple.
"It's incredible because it was a quiet thunder that shook our house," said neighbor Rose Scheuch.
"Very nice people, very nice people, friendly. They would help anyone," said Pringle. "They like gardening. They liked their backyard. They liked to plant. They just enjoyed life."
The Topolski's son, Frank, did find a way to get out of the home. He was treated and released from the hospital.
Officials said the explosion does not appear suspicious.
There is nothing left of the home where the explosion happened except a pile of rubble. An elderly couple inside was killed. Their son found a way to get out of the burning home.
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State police, firefighters, the gas company and more were looking through the rubble of what was a house; the home of Frank and Caroline Topolski. Police said they died when it blew up. They had lived in the neighborhood for 50 years. Their daughter showed up after the explosion and neighbors greeted her with hugs and tears.
"I just heard like a loud boom and my whole entire house shook," said neighbor Ashley McNulty.
"My room is actually in the front of the house. It shook my whole bed. I jumped out of bed and I ran downstairs," recounted Kelly McNulty.
Photos show what they saw seconds after they looked outside. Another explosion that rocked the neighborhood even more.
"When I got out, but the time I got out it was a great big explosion. It sounded like an atom bomb," said neighbor Kenneth Pringle.
"We were standing there and all of sudden everything, all of the sudden just engulfed in flames and just like blew up into the air. I've never seen anything like that in my life. It was the scariest thing in the world," Kelly McNulty added. "They were nice people. They really were. I just can't believe anything like this happened to them. It's horrible."
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The McNultys live across the street. Now they look at the damage to their car and their home. The siding was melted that far away.
A home next door to the explosion was destroyed too but several others on the street had damage.
"It was so hot, if you stood on the front porch you'd feel like you were getting burned," Jim McNulty added.
Neighbor Heather Baldoni was rocked awake, then rushed next door to help. "I ran over there, no shoes, asked if they were okay, asked if anyone was in there. I heard a yes, or a yeah," Baldoni said. "I started going toward that voice. I said, 'You've gotta get out of here now. You need to leave now. It's going to explode!'" the fire and smoke forced her to turn around and leave. Another blast knocked her down as she left.
"I didn't see anything. I didn't see air or smoke or anything. I just felt the blast and just went down," Baldoni added.
Firefighters said there was no natural gas to the home. Workers took away a propane tank what was used for heat there.
There are so many questions remaining about the early morning blasts that killed the elderly couple.
"It's incredible because it was a quiet thunder that shook our house," said neighbor Rose Scheuch.
"Very nice people, very nice people, friendly. They would help anyone," said Pringle. "They like gardening. They liked their backyard. They liked to plant. They just enjoyed life."
The Topolski's son, Frank, did find a way to get out of the home. He was treated and released from the hospital.
Officials said the explosion does not appear suspicious.
