Tragedy struck Old Orchard Beach, Maine, as two visitors from Massachusetts perished following a camper explosion at the Powder Horn Campground. Alesia Ventura-Large, 58, of Marlborough and Nancy Pilsch, 58, of Leominster, sustained severe burn injuries on Saturday around 12:30 p.m., which led to their subsequent deaths at Maine Medical Center in Portland. According to WCVB, the women were rushed by Old Orchard Beach Fire and EMS to the hospital for treatment but did not survive the injuries they endured.
The ill-fated trip was meant to be a birthday celebration, as Ventura-Large's husband revealed his wife and Pilsch were in Maine to honor Nancy’s upcoming birthday. Investigators from the Maine Department of Public Safety suspect the explosion resulted from an accumulation of LP gas both inside and underneath the camper, which likely ignited when one of an women lit a candle. The ongoing investigation into the exact cause of this fatal event continues to unfold, as reported by Boston.com.
The identities of those lost were confirmed as Ventura-Large and Pilsch, with both women having hailed from Massachusetts. The explosion at the well-known campground prompted a swift response from local emergency services, with fire and emergency medical crews arriving promptly after the incident occurred.
While the sad events leading to the deaths of the two friends appear to be a terrible accident, the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances that caused such a catastrophic explosion. "The investigation remains active, however, initial findings indicate that LP gas had been leaking into and beneath the park model camper," officials stated, suggesting the ignition of this gas by a candle as the trigger for the explosion.
