HOLTON, Kan. — Jackson County authorities say an apparent propane leak caused an explosion in northeast Kansas last week that killed one man and seriously injured his wife.
Sheriff Tim Morse said Monday a great amount of propane leaked into the home of 61-year-old Billy “Lu” Griffiths and his wife, Teri, in rural Holton on May 10. It’s unclear exactly what sparked the gas but Morse said the explosion was not believed to be a criminal act.
Billy Griffiths died in the blast and his wife was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Original Story:
HOLTON, Kan. — Officials in northeastern Kansas say a house explosion has left one man dead and a woman seriously injured.
Television station KSN reports the explosion happened around 6 p.m. Monday about 3 miles north of Holton. Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse says the blast shattered the windows of neighboring homes and could be felt all the way into Holton. Firefighters and medics arriving at the scene found the home leveled and on fire. The names of the man killed and woman injured in the blast have not been released.
Morse says investigators believe the home was under renovation, and officials have not ruled out a gas leak as the cause of the explosion.