Explosion near Dallas levels house and kills 2 people

VAN ALSTYNE, Texas (AP) — Investigators suspect a propane leak caused an explosion that leveled a home and killed its two occupants in a community just north of Dallas early Monday morning.

First responders received the call at 1:19 a.m. after people reported hearing a loud “boom” in Van Alstyne, Texas. A fire broke out and was extinguished several hours later.

Grayson County Fire Marshal John Weda said the two occupants of the home were inside when the blast occurred. Their bodies were found among the debris. Their remains were sent to the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies.

The home used propane appliances which could have led to the explosion deemed accidental by investigators. “This appears to be a possible propane leak occurring inside the structure resulting in the explosion,” Weda said in a statement. The fire marshal added that an investigation is underway by his office and the Texas Railroad Commission.

Van Alstyne is about 55 miles (89 kilometers) north of Dallas.