California: At least one person lost his life and 15 others were injured on Monday afternoon after a house exploded in Murrieta here while crews from Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) were working on fixing a faulty natural gas line.
The incident took place after an hour of the crew arriving at the house, according to CNN. The fire department was already on the site of the mishap. The deceased individual has been identified as a SoCalGas employee. The wounded are being given medical attention.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of today's incident which took the life of one of our employees, injured firefighters, and impacted others. Our focus now is on working with first responders to make the area safe and supporting all those involved."
"We will continue to work with first responders to determine what caused the accident. Our sympathies and thoughts are with the individuals and families of those impacted," SoCalGas said in a statement.
The degree of wounds sustained by the injured has not been specified yet by the Murrieta Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief David Lantzen. Residents are being kept away from the structure while roads in the area have been shut down.
