Public Utility Safety Inspectors Say House Explosion Investigation Could Take A Year

POTTSTOWN, PA — Safety officials with the state agency overseeing public utilities say that the investigation into what may have caused the recent Pottstown house explosion could take up to a year.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission put out a statement Thursday afternoon saying that personnel with its Safety Division are continuing their investigation into the deadly house blast, which took the lives of four young children and their grandmother.

The agency classified the investigation as "active and ongoing, exploring the cause and circumstances surrounding this incident, along with whether there are any violations of state or federal pipeline safety regulations."

"The Safety Division has worked closely with other agencies during the emergency response and initial stages of the investigation and will carefully consider any additional information from those entities as the broader safety investigation continues," reads a statement from the PUC.

The agency said in its statement that it understands the strong public interest in incidents such as this tragic house explosion, and it tries to work as fast as possible to address safety concerns, but at the same time it is important for the public to understand that "these are complex circumstances which may require extensive analyses by engineers and other experts, along with laboratory testing and other technical study before conclusions can be reached."

The PUC said its full investigation could actually take up to a year, but that the agency would "not hesitate to take immediate action to address health or public safety concerns that are identified."

Safety inspects with the PUC say they're continuing to work with personnel from other agencies, both state and federal, including the ATF and the Pennsylvania State Police.

PECO recently put out a statement that its investigators are also continuing to look into the incident, but the agency noted that it appears the home in question was not a natural gas customer.

Related: Montco Home Explosion Doesn't Appear To Be Caused By Natural Gas: PECO

There are, however, natural gas mains in the neighborhood where the house was located along the 400 block of Hale Street in Pottstown Borough.

Four children, ages 8 through 13, along with their 67-year-old grandmother were killed in the house explosion, which occurred the evening of May 26.

The parents of the kids are listed in critical care after apparently sustaining very serious bodily injuries in the blast.

The family had been transplants from Philadelphia who said they had fled the city for Montgomery County in search of a better life.

On Thursday morning, Patch reported that some additional homes in the vicinity of the blast have since been deemed unsafe and uninhabitable.

Editor's Note: Patch has been providing ongoing coverage of the Pottstown house explosion and will continue to bring you the latest on this tragic story as it unfolds.