A house explosion in Lake View on Monday night has now been confirmed to be fatal. One person died, and another was taken to ECMC. According to Hamburg Police Captain John Baker, a home exploded on the 5800 block of West Lane Monday at 8:49 p.m. Police have described the scene as a “catastrophic explosion.”
When 2 On Your Side arrived on scene and debris could be seen across multiple yards. The explosion also caused a second nearby home to catch on fire, and it took crews several hours to get it under control.
“It is basically a house that is no longer there,”Capt. Baker said. “It’s a dangerous situation, a lot to comb through and deal with.”
Several people described the explosion like a train crashing into the neighborhood. “I was watching TV, and it was just a huge explosion, like fireworks times 30,” said Mike Jacobs. Jacobs lives adjacent to the home that exploded and the second home that caught fire.
“Dishes came out of the cupboard, and then I just heard screaming and came out,” Jacobs said. “There was debris everywhere on the street. “
The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived on West Lane just after 12:15 a.m. and removed one body from the scene. Another victim was transported to ECMC, according to police, and their condition is unknown at this time. At least one Hamburg Police officer and Lake View firefighter were also transported for minor injuries.
Recovery efforts are underway including assistance from K9s and the New York State Police. Dozens of National Fuel crews also responded to the scene and were digging up several yards to access gas mains on West Lane. Other crews were walking the neighborhood with portable meters to check for any gas leaks or elevated CO levels.
Officials have not said what caused the explosion at this time, but emergency personnel will remain on scene to continue investigating.
