At least one dead in Berlin house explosion

At least an elderly woman was killed and another injured in a house explosion that took place in Berlin, Massachusetts in the early hours of Friday, CBS News reported.

The injured woman was pulled out of the house debris by the neighbours.

The woman who died was believed to be in her 80s.

According to the Berlin Fire Chief Michael McQuillen, "Neighbours rushed to the scene to lift parts of the roof off the surviving woman as a fire spread. She is in stable condition at a hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening."

He also said "It was very heroic for them to be able to get in and lift that up and get her out from underneath that" adding "The fire was advancing very quickly at that point. . . the seconds matter. Definitely was a factor in saving her life and keeping her alive."

The chief noted that “first responders were called to the scene at about 3:30am for reports of a house explosion at the 2.5-story wood frame home on Pleasant Street.”

He added: "It's basically completely levelled. When it exploded it came down upon itself so there was nothing really standing except for a debris pile when we arrived."

There was a large debris field from the explosion, and materials could be seen hanging from the trees above where the house once stood, the fire chief McQuillen noted.

CBS News also reported that firefighters were putting out hotspots later in the morning.

The damage to other nearby homes was minor due to flying debris.

Further investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire and explosion.