TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) An 81-year-old Topeka woman has died after being injured in a natural gas explosion at her home.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Lucinia Tolliver died Friday. Tolliver had been admitted to The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., after the explosion Monday.
Topeka Fire Department Investigator Mike Martin said a contractor excavating Monday in a nearby yard hit a natural gas service line and caused it to separate from the main line about 6 feet underground.
Martin said because the breach occurred deep underground, the gas could have entered Tolliver’s home via such routes as a pipe, sewer line or cracks in the dirt.
