Missouri Gas Explosion Leaves Two Adults and a Toddler in Critical Condition

By Mary Mitchell

Published on September 22, 2006

The 7 a.m. explosion on Sept. 14 sounded like the jet engines of the planes that the area residents hear frequently in this neighborhood near Lambert Field. The blast blew some of the victims' clothing off, but they were able to run out of the building. They were conscious while waiting for transportation to St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, where they were all listed in critical condition.

The blast is being investigated by the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates the utilities in the state, and the St. Louis County police's Arson and Explosives Unit. Laclede Gas, the local gas company, said that the gas leak had come from a pipe or fitting inside the victims' home, which would make the blast the homeowner's responsibility, not the gas company's. The PSC has responded to 24 similar gas explosions and leaks across Missouri in 2006.

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