Explosion kills 3, damages 39 homes in Indiana

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Three people were killed Wednesday when a house exploded in the southern Indiana city of Evansville, authorities said.Dave Anson, chief deputy coroner for Vanderburgh County, told The Associated Press that the identities of the people who died would not be released until the next of kin has been notified.Evansville Fire Department Chief Mike Connelly said a total of 39 houses were damaged by the explosion at around 1 p.m.

He said the department has not confirmed how many of the houses were occupied when the explosion happened because "some were too unstable to enter."Connelly earlier said at least three people were injured.

It was not immediately clear if those he counted as injured had subsequently died.RELATED: 'It's not a good feeling': Pilot, passenger unharmed after small plane lands on 91 Freeway in CoronaThe cause of the explosion has not been determined, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was investigating."Debris is strewn over a 100-foot (30-meter) radius," including "typical construction materials" such as wooden boards, window glass and insulation, Connelly said.Aerial video posted on social media shows damage in a residential neighborhood with police and fire vehicles on the scene in Evansville, on the Kentucky border.CenterPoint Energy, the local gas utility, was last called to the home in January 2018, Connelly said.