Explosion near Dallas levels a house and kills 2 people

VAN ALSTYNE, Texas — Investigators believe a propane leak caused an explosion that leveled a home and killed its two residents in a community just north of Dallas early Monday morning.

First responders received the call at 1:19 a.m. after people reported hearing a loud “boom” in Van Alstyne, Texas. A fire broke out, which was extinguished several hours later.

Grayson County Fire Marshal John Weda said the two residents of the home were inside when the explosion occurred. Their bodies were found among the rubble. Their remains were sent to the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies.

The home used propane appliances that could have led to the explosion that investigators ruled accidental. “This appears to be a possible propane leak occurring within the structure that led to the explosion,” Weda said in a statement. The fire chief added that an investigation is underway by his office and the Texas Railroad Commission.

Van Alstyne is located approximately 55 miles (89 kilometers) north of Dallas.