A gas explosion rocked a Kentucky community Thursday morning, leaving one person dead and lighting at least six homes on fire, according to local authorities.
Residents in Moreland were evacuated after the explosion, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said. The number of people evacuated was not immediately available.
Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum told CNN Lisa Denise Derringer, 58, was killed.
At least five others were injured, according to Dan Gilliam, the director of Lincoln County Emergency Management, and at least six structures were damaged.
Five to seven people are missing or unaccounted for, Gilliam said. A shelter has been set up at a local church, where those individuals can check in with authorities.
Gilliam said authorities believe the explosion was the result of a rupture of a 30-inch gas transmission pipeline, but it will take time to definitively determine the cause.
“The part of the area that has been compromised — there’s just nothing left,” he told reporters, adding some residents may be able to return to their homes by Thursday afternoon.
“There doesn’t really look like there’s any in-between back there,” Gilliam added. “They’re either destroyed, or they’re still standing.”
Sofia Nunez was at home in Moreland when the explosion happened.
“There was a loud noise and it sounded like a tornado was outside our house. When you stepped outside you could hear the flames and feel the heat. It shook the house for nearly 30 minutes after the flames appeared and neighbors’ windows were shattered,” Nunez told CNN.
A spokesman for Enbridge Gas, which owns the Texas Eastern Pipeline, said the company was working with first responders to secure the scene.
“Our teams are coordinating with first responders to secure the site. We have isolated the affected line and are working closely with emergency responders to manage the situation,” the spokesman said in a statement.
Charlie Lynch woke up in nearby Danville to the whole sky lit up from the explosion. He said he drove 10-15 minutes before taking video, with flames and smoke visible the whole way.
