2 Killed In House Explosion In LaSalle, Foul Play Ruled Out: Police

LASALLE, IL — LaSalle County officials have identified one of the two people who were killed in a house explosion on Saturday that has been ruled an accident, local authorities reported over the weekend.

The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office said that the explosion took place at 11:25 a.m. on Saturday at a home in rural LaSalle, which is about 80 miles outside of Chicago. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation by local officials, the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s Office at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The explosion took place at a home located at 3162 E. 3rd Road and authorities continue to investigate the incident, police said. However, officials have ruled out foul play in the explosion that killed Robert E. Waters, 59, whom the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office determined died of “multiple injuries” sustained in the blast, officials wrote in a social media post on Sunday.

A woman, who was also living at the address, also died in the explosion after she was transported from the scene and then flown to a hospital in Rockford.

The Winnebago County Coroner will be releasing her identity at a later time, according to the social media post.

Officials said that the explosion is being investigated as an isolated incident, and it is not believed to be of any threat to the public.