Five have lost their lives, and three people are still missing after the Plum house explosion in Pennsylvania. On Saturday, August 12, 2023, an explosion suddenly destroyed many homes in Allegheny County. As per ABC News, four adults and one child died, while many were recovered from under the debris.
The incident also injured three people, out of which one remains critical in the hospital. The officials investigating the blast have said that, at the moment, it is not clear why the explosion happened. The authorities also claimed that the gas pipelines could not have been the issue, as the representative from the company stated that the system was working fine.
As per reports, the Plum house explosion occurred around 10.22 am and was reported in a few minutes by the residents. Two other houses were also caught in flames, causing injuries and loss of life. The Plum House explosion has also damaged more than ten buildings nearby.
To support the families and the victims, the area's people have started multiple fundraisers through GoFundMe, mainly to manage the expenses of funerals, memorials, and much more. One GoFundMe fundraiser raised over $21,000, as 225 people donated. Another raised more than $30,000 as 238 people donated to the cause.
In total, the fundraisers have raised more than $50,000. One of the fundraisers is for the Smith family, who lost their home. This money would help them rebuild their homes and lives once again.
As the Plum house blew up, more than 18 fire departments responded to the scene
The witnesses who reported the incident to the fire department and 911 claimed that an explosion happened out of nowhere and was also captured on the surveillance cameras of several homes. Having occurred in the borough of Plum, the investigators are working hard to know the actual reason for the explosion.
The teams are also working on the gas lines and other infrastructure to ensure everything runs properly in the area. Furthermore, the witnesses and first respondents revealed that more than 18 fire departments responded to the scene to douse the massive fire.
As multiple people have lost lives and many families have been injured, the people of the area have set up multiple fundraisers for the families to support them and take care of the funeral and memorial expenses. One of the fundraisers started for the Smith family has received generous donations. The About section of the donation reads:
“While thankful to be alive, for the foreseeable future, the Smith family will not only be without a home, they will be waking up with the stark reality of starting from scratch. Let's show Harrison, Kelly, and beautiful Levi how much we love and appreciate them by showing financial support in any way we can!
"All funds will be delivered directly to the Smith family to help them rebuild their home and lives after such a complete, devastating loss.”
The authorities claim that the Plum house investigation could take months, as nothing can be clarified at the moment. Meanwhile, social media users were grief-stricken after they learned about the news, and many hopped onto various platforms to share their tributes for the families.