Indiana law enforcement officers have launched a criminal homicide investigation in the case of house explosion that killed two peopled and injured at least eight people, according to Indianapolis Homeland Security Director Gary Coons. The explosion destroyed two homes on each side of the main house and damaged numerous homes in an Indianapolis neighborhood.
In the announcement Monday evening, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry says search warrants are being executed and that official are looking for a white van that was seen in the neighborhood.
Officials have said they believe natural gas was involved in Nov. 10 explosion, which apparently may have been used in an intentional explosion. So far, investigators have been focusing on appliances, including a furnace, as they search for a cause.
John Dion Longworth, 34 and Jennifer Longworth, 36, who lived next door to the the main home where investigators believe the explosion was triggered.
AUDIO of initial response to explosion.
WARNING: AUDIO IS INTENSE AND INCLUDES DESCRIPTION OF URGENT RESCUE AND TRAUMA TO SOME VICTIMS. Audio is provided for public safety personnel and citizens to understand the timing factors, and early decisions made as an emergency situation/mass casualty situation is realized and acted on — including fire suppression, technical rescue, search and rescue, determining the number of casualties, triage of victims’ injuries, organizing a proper response of police, fire, and medical personnel, securing the public from further danger, and securing the scene for investigation.
Communications involve attempt to suppress multiple residential fires, rescue entrapped victims in multi-casualty incident and stabilize collapsed or damaged residential structures.