An 80-year-old man was killed in a devastating home explosion in Iron River, Michigan, with officials reporting that the blast scattered debris up to three blocks, according to Audacy's WWJ Newsradio.
The explosion occurred late Saturday night, and first responders, including the Iron County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police, arrived around 9:30 p.m. CST to find the residence on Cayuga Street "mostly destroyed," Fox 11 Online reports. Multiple fire departments from the Western U.P., MSP K9 units, and additional state troopers were also on the scene to assist in the search for victims and the subsequent investigation police do not suspect foul play or criminal activity at this time, but the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
The victim, who had recently relocated to Michigan from Florida, was the only confirmed fatality in the incident, his name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, MLive noted.
Residents in the vicinity were evacuated on the night of the blast while authorities opened a warming center for those affected; the investigation is being led by the Iron River City Police Department with assistance from the MSP Fire Investigator, despite no initial signs of criminal elements, the true cause of the explosion remains a mystery at the time of writing, and the community awaits answers as the investigation unfolds.
