The two victims who lost their lives in a house explosion on Friday, August 23, were identified by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in a statement that was made public on Monday afternoon.
At the time of the explosion, Oliver W. Campbell, 70, and Katherine A. Campbell, 65, were both residents of the Excelsior Springs, Missouri, home near Gabe Travis Circle and Kimberly Drive, according to deputies.
The reason of the explosion is still unknown at this point. The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office, however, stated that the completion of the investigations could take up to thirty days.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a house explosion close to Kimberly Drive in Excelsior Springs early on Friday, August 23, just after 4:40 a.m.
When deputies arrived, they reported discovering a house that had been “completely destroyed” and in flames. The explosion “blew open the doors of neighbors’ houses and could be felt and seen for many miles,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Two persons and a dog were residing in the house at the time of the explosion, according to the law enforcement report from the beginning. But no bodies had been found.
However, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office verified a few hours later, at approximately 12:30 p.m., that the dog and the two victims’ bodies had been discovered beneath the home’s debris.
The fatal blast is still being investigated. The magnitude of the explosion and the amount of the damage prevent investigators from identifying an ignition source or a gas leak, hence the cause of the incident is currently “unclassified,” according to the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Regarding the incident, the Propane Safety Commission also made a statement stating that no information is currently available.
