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[#1]
Why did it just take out the house on just one side? Why was it so powerful?
That's not normal. When I was in high school a classmate had his house blow up from NG and it was nothing like that. It didn't wreck the neighborhood. |
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[#3]
Quoted:
There was an incident like this a few years ago where a massive NG explosion took place and took out a big chunk of a neighborhood and people got killed . From what I have read, the people in the house complained of the furnace being out, they were not there when it happened, I assume the would have smelled the NG if it were leaking, and a massive amount of NG mixed with air and somehow detonated. From looking at what happened during the San Bruno explosion, in this case it is very probable that a main got damaged and some unlucky (well lucky their furnace stopped working so the were staying somewhere else) homeowner got several hundred houses worth of NG into their house rapidly and ignited. I really doubt this was any sort of insurance fraud, but could be a bad excavation, geological shift, or worn or defective main pipes. This reminded me of explosions they had in Hutchinson, KS 10 years ago. Shit started blowing up all over town. Fire department was shutting off gas mains but geysers of fire were still chugging. Turned out to be migrating gas from underground storage facilities. If I recall, the gas stored underground did not have the aromatic added. This article is horribly written http://www.hutchnews.com/Todaystop/Sun––explosions-reflection––1 |
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[#5]
They are allowing people to try to get stuff and Sh!t is about to get Criminal !
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[#6]
I am absolutely amazed that this link has not made it into either of the running threads on this subject.
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/11/was-indiana-explosion-victim-targeted-microchip-expertise-in-time-to-market-2494598.html If found this link from this public FB post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=387624977980938&set=a.323094927767277.72349.100002003178019&type=1&theater Anyone have any contacts with EOD folks who would be willing to comment? The one I knew got banned from the forum where I met him. This could be quite the stretch, of course. Just saying I was surprised it hasn't been mentioned after 5 pages. I've been trying to read up this as much as possible before posting. My co-worker's mother's home was two houses down from the site of the explosion. She is Debbie Wagner, listed in this article: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/11/us/indiana-houses-explode/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 Aaand, if you want to help the family of the deceased: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dion-Jennifer-Longworths-community-garden/125434390944934 |
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[#8]
Quoted:
May want to tighten your foil hats before watching: ![]() The garage project theory is interesting. I don't know much about that sort of thing so I have no idea how plausible it is. |
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[#9]
Quoted: Odorant is a mix, and under certain conditions, the strength (smellability) may fade. Brief technical overview Bear in mind that odorant is detectable at concentration far below LEL/LFL. There are several mercaptans, and the threshold for human detection by smell is in the ppb to low ppm range. 5% (lower explosive/flammable limit) in contrast is 50,000 ppm. A house ready to kaboom would have more than enough mercaptans to smell worse than a congressman's promise. You know your stuff. Any chance you work in Export PA? If so, cool. ![]() |
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[#10]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Odorant is a mix, and under certain conditions, the strength (smellability) may fade. Brief technical overview Bear in mind that odorant is detectable at concentration far below LEL/LFL. There are several mercaptans, and the threshold for human detection by smell is in the ppb to low ppm range. 5% (lower explosive/flammable limit) in contrast is 50,000 ppm. A house ready to kaboom would have more than enough mercaptans to smell worse than a congressman's promise. You know your stuff. Any chance you work in Export PA? If so, cool. ![]() Not in Export. Did design detection equipment for a couple of very well known companies. Have had the Chinese knock off some of my older designs. Interesting to see what they do understand and what they don't. ![]() |
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[#12]
would not want to live next to that house. A business was leveled 2 years ago in Warren Michigan and it was way worse.
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[#13]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Just seen on the news that it is not a gas leak ! So now what? Are we going with the meth lab??? Heard a radio report on the way to work this a.m. Gas company is going Bart Simpson. http://02varvara.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/01-bart-simpson-i-didnt-do-it-e1286561352317.jpg Does that make the fall back cause Glock or beans in the chilli? Leaks don't fix themselves, especially outside one's.I can absolutely guarantee every service and main around those houses were walked and bar checked for leaks. If it was gas related, it would be after the meter and on the customer owned side. To create that size of explosion, especially if it was only one house that initially exploded, you'd almost HAVE to have a severed or completely open fuel line inside and there is absolutely no way the customers [if they were there] could not smell it unless they all had massive head colds. These are not little houses and to get the percentages needed to actually explode, you'd need a massive leak on the customer side because the pressure is only 1/4 pound or 7 inches of water column. I just did some calculations assuming a 2600 sqft house with 8 foot ceilings, with just one stove burner on, and 0 ventilation (there would be some), it would take 70+ hours to dump in enough to fill the house to the LEL. Add in ventilation, a basement or other non-counted space, and the number goes farther and farther up. |
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[#14]
Did the math, 120 cu. ft Acetylene would produce about 61.32 MJ of energy
Tritonol (explosive in General Purpose Bombs) equiv would be 90lb of explosive. A Mk81 bomb, at 250lb, has 96lb Tritonol (rest of weight is casing, fins, and fuse), so Keith_J's approximation of damage is very close to the damage shown. That's a given, however. ![]() The SDB uses metallized powder explosive which I cannot find the energy index of, but they are "weaker" than the GP 250lb bomb, as they are designed for minimal collateral damage due to being JDAM/Smart Bombs. Work: Acetylene 1 m³ = 61.32 MJ Tritonol 2.3 MJ/lb 120 ft³ = 3.4 m^3 120 ft³Acetylene = 205 MJ 90lb Tritonol ~ 205MJ 96lb Tritonol in Mk81 250lb GP Bomb Big Boom for a residential area, though I doubt it was a bomb. |
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[#15]
Quoted: The said it wasn't a gas leak, not that it wasn't gas. A propane bottle, open, could do the same. Going on LEL, propane is 2.1%, a normal 20 lb tank would only be enough for 1000 sqft with 8 ft ceilings. That's also taking out any effect of ventilation just like above. |
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[#16]
Quoted: Quoted: The said it wasn't a gas leak, not that it wasn't gas. A propane bottle, open, could do the same. Going on LEL, propane is 2.1%, a normal 20 lb tank would only be enough for 1000 sqft with 8 ft ceilings. That's also taking out any effect of ventilation just like above. Also, a propane leak would likely be slow, meaning it would settle out in a layer far above UEL Still sticking with acetylene. |
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[#17]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Easily. Acetylene cannot be pressurized much, most cylinders are under 20 PSI, compared to 2250 PSI for oxygen/argon etc. Instead, acetylene is dissolved in acetone or other liquid solvent in the cylinder. This allows much greater volume of acetylene to be stored under much lower pressure, safely. The solvent stabilizes it.
Quoted:
Modern, well-sealed basement and acetylene is my guess. Acetylene is damn violent and shock sensitive. Would not take much. Like a tank used for cutting torches or welding? Would only one tank be capable of that much damage? Once withdrawn, pressure should never be above 15 PSI because it reacts without the need for oxygen, EXPLOSIVELY. Add oxygen and it is impressive. I've made small acetylene bombs, a gallon milk jug full of acetylene and oxygen will completely strip a square yard area of all grass. The plastic milk jug is shattered. Sounds like an illegal firework. Even 12 ounce beverage cans are impressive. About like an M80. I would say 120 cubic foot tank of acetylene would easily do that. Interesting. Not really out of the ordinary for somebody to be a welder or fabricator and be storing stuff in the basement vs. garage. Keith's idea fits the results pretty well. Not only is acetylene easy to ignite, under the right conditions it detonates rather than deflagrates so the shock can be much stronger than say a natural gas explosion. |
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[#18]
How long was the house empty prier to the blast. What did the occupants do for a living. What all was gas in the house? furnace, water heater, stove fire place, grill and so on.
What type of piping was in the house ? black iron, track pipe. Was there flex connectors ran in a way they could have rubbed or cracked. If a leak did occur in the house would some other source of ignition set it off prier to it building up enough to level a neighborhood " pilot light in water heater". They were not home so they probably set the thermostat down so the furnace may have not tried to come on till long after dark. Did the house have a basement, or crawl, or was it a slab. If they had a sump did they tie it into the sewer drain. There are alot of unknowns to all but the people who live there and the investigators. |
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[#19]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Easily. Acetylene cannot be pressurized much, most cylinders are under 20 PSI, compared to 2250 PSI for oxygen/argon etc. Instead, acetylene is dissolved in acetone or other liquid solvent in the cylinder. This allows much greater volume of acetylene to be stored under much lower pressure, safely. The solvent stabilizes it.Quoted: Modern, well-sealed basement and acetylene is my guess. Acetylene is damn violent and shock sensitive. Would not take much. Like a tank used for cutting torches or welding? Would only one tank be capable of that much damage? Once withdrawn, pressure should never be above 15 PSI because it reacts without the need for oxygen, EXPLOSIVELY. Add oxygen and it is impressive. I've made small acetylene bombs, a gallon milk jug full of acetylene and oxygen will completely strip a square yard area of all grass. The plastic milk jug is shattered. Sounds like an illegal firework. Even 12 ounce beverage cans are impressive. About like an M80. I would say 120 cubic foot tank of acetylene would easily do that. Interesting. Not really out of the ordinary for somebody to be a welder or fabricator and be storing stuff in the basement vs. garage. Keith's idea fits the results pretty well. Not only is acetylene easy to ignite, under the right conditions it detonates rather than deflagrates so the shock can be much stronger than say a natural gas explosion. And unlike natural gas and propane, it is damn near neutrally buoyant. This makes dilution in a well-sealed house likely. Then it has a very wide LFL-UFL window. Yes, it detonates. The resistance of a fuel to detonation is analogous to 'octane rating'. Natural gas is a very good fuel for Otto cycle engines. Propane is slightly less ideal, still better than the best gasoline. Poor fuels? These tend to explode easier. Hydrogen is one but I rule this out because it has high positive buoyancy and high diffusion rates. Still, it has wide LFL-UFL window. |
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[#20]
Quoted:
How long was the house empty prier to the blast. What did the occupants do for a living. What all was gas in the house? furnace, water heater, stove fire place, grill and so on. What type of piping was in the house ? black iron, track pipe. Was there flex connectors ran in a way they could have rubbed or cracked. If a leak did occur in the house would some other source of ignition set it off prier to it building up enough to level a neighborhood " pilot light in water heater". They were not home so they probably set the thermostat down so the furnace may have not tried to come on till long after dark. Did the house have a basement, or crawl, or was it a slab. If they had a sump did they tie it into the sewer drain. There are alot of unknowns to all but the people who live there and the investigators. The gas company should be able to figure out how much gas was in the house to a few cubic feet. The meter on the outside is built to live though an explosion, worse case they only need to compare the output on their end with the input to all the neighbors and subtract to see what would have been in the house that went boom. Since no leaks were found exterior to the house, that may be how they ruled out a natural gas explosion? |
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[#21]
Quoted: Did the math, 120 cu. ft Acetylene would produce about 61.32 MJ of energy Tritonol (explosive in General Purpose Bombs) equiv would be 90lb of explosive. A Mk81 bomb, at 250lb, has 96lb Tritonol (rest of weight is casing, fins, and fuse), so Keith_J's approximation of damage is very close to the damage shown. That's a given, however. ![]() The SDB uses metallized powder explosive which I cannot find the energy index of, but they are "weaker" than the GP 250lb bomb, as they are designed for minimal collateral damage due to being JDAM/Smart Bombs. Work: Acetylene 1 m³ = 61.32 MJ Tritonol 2.3 MJ/lb 120 ft³ = 3.4 m^3 120 ft³Acetylene = 205 MJ 90lb Tritonol ~ 205MJ 96lb Tritonol in Mk81 250lb GP Bomb Big Boom for a residential area, though I doubt it was a bomb. Thanks for doing my homework. The reason acetylene is so powerful for its mass is oxygen is heavy. The oxygen for the acetylene explosion is not factored into the mass like for Tritonol or any other bomb explosive. Metal powder fuels decrease gas production as they form solid salts, much like flash powder. Instead, the metal powder fuel creates heat which makes the explosion thermal, much like a clap of thunder heats the surrounding air. If it was intentionally released acetylene, it was an IED. |
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[#22]
After they sift through all the wreckage, any remnants of any tanks should be readily identifiable.
Nothing that I can think of in a normal residential house would have the same thickness, radius, inner & outer coatings and general composition (if used as a device). If a tank was just used as a source, it will be in the rubble pretty much intact. I guess in theory one could have a tank outside and feed a line in to the basement, then remove the tank. That would require a whole lot of crazy. If it was deliberate (turn on all the burners on the stove, open the door to the oven and let it go) then filling a house over a day or two is pretty reasonable. Alternative scenario is someone stealing an appliance, and leaving the gas line wide open. Pretty close proximity of houses makes that seem less likely. Least likely is a sudden failure in the lines, but anything is possible. That the owners were about to have the house repo'ed makes me think they were looking for an insurance way out. |
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[#23]
Quoted: After they sift through all the wreckage, any remnants of any tanks should be readily identifiable. Nothing that I can think of in a normal residential house would have the same thickness, radius, inner & outer coatings and general composition (if used as a device). If a tank was just used as a source, it will be in the rubble pretty much intact. I guess in theory one could have a tank outside and feed a line in to the basement, then remove the tank. That would require a whole lot of crazy. If it was deliberate (turn on all the burners on the stove, open the door to the oven and let it go) then filling a house over a day or two is pretty reasonable. Alternative scenario is someone stealing an appliance, and leaving the gas line wide open. Pretty close proximity of houses makes that seem less likely. Least likely is a sudden failure in the lines, but anything is possible. That the owners were about to have the house repo'ed makes me think they were looking for an insurance way out. Or 10 kg of calcium carbide plus water. Of course it would leave behind 10+ kg of calcium hydroxide, a very stinky mess that won't burn. Any arson investigator could identify it. Calcium carbide is still available. |
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[#24]
Going off the same math, 15-30% more Natural Gas (150-ish ft³) would be required to be well mixed to produce the same energy.
Since NG in that amount doesn't fully mix with air, the number may be higher, which should make it easy for the gas company to find out on the remains of the meter and last reading, or by deduction from their meter and neighbors usage. |
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[#25]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did the math, 120 cu. ft Acetylene would produce about 61.32 MJ of energy Tritonol (explosive in General Purpose Bombs) equiv would be 90lb of explosive. A Mk81 bomb, at 250lb, has 96lb Tritonol (rest of weight is casing, fins, and fuse), so Keith_J's approximation of damage is very close to the damage shown. That's a given, however. ![]() The SDB uses metallized powder explosive which I cannot find the energy index of, but they are "weaker" than the GP 250lb bomb, as they are designed for minimal collateral damage due to being JDAM/Smart Bombs. Work: Acetylene 1 m³ = 61.32 MJ Tritonol 2.3 MJ/lb 120 ft³ = 3.4 m^3 120 ft³Acetylene = 205 MJ 90lb Tritonol ~ 205MJ 96lb Tritonol in Mk81 250lb GP Bomb Big Boom for a residential area, though I doubt it was a bomb. Thanks for doing my homework. The reason acetylene is so powerful for its mass is oxygen is heavy. The oxygen for the acetylene explosion is not factored into the mass like for Tritonol or any other bomb explosive. Metal powder fuels decrease gas production as they form solid salts, much like flash powder. Instead, the metal powder fuel creates heat which makes the explosion thermal, much like a clap of thunder heats the surrounding air. If it was intentionally released acetylene, it was an IED. Are you even allowed to store these in a residential area? When I was in manufacturing these were stored in specific areas and only removed for use. |
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[#27]
Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be.
Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. |
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[#29]
Quoted:
Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be. Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. Define not permitted for me. I was going to bring my tanks home from the warehouse soon. |
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[#31]
Quoted: Quoted: Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be. Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. Define not permitted for me. I was going to bring my tanks home from the warehouse soon. If you have a fire and investigation shows you had flammable compressed gases like acetylene/propane inside the house, your claim can be denied. My welding supply company will not load cylinders in any habitable space in any vehicle. Trailer or bed of truck only. |
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[#32]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be. Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. Define not permitted for me. I was going to bring my tanks home from the warehouse soon. If you have a fire and investigation shows you had flammable compressed gases like acetylene/propane inside the house, your claim can be denied My welding supply company will not load cylinders in any habitable space in any vehicle. Trailer or bed of truck only. So if this was acetylene, the fact that it was in a house would seem to point to an intentional leak and they underestimated the magnitude of the destruction? Those tanks are pretty tough I can't imagine one just springing a leak. |
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[#33]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be. Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. Define not permitted for me. I was going to bring my tanks home from the warehouse soon. If you have a fire and investigation shows you had flammable compressed gases like acetylene/propane inside the house, your claim can be denied. My welding supply company will not load cylinders in any habitable space in any vehicle. Trailer or bed of truck only. My place loads them in the trunk of my car on a regular basis for me ![]() |
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[#34]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be. Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. Define not permitted for me. I was going to bring my tanks home from the warehouse soon. If you have a fire and investigation shows you had flammable compressed gases like acetylene/propane inside the house, your claim can be denied My welding supply company will not load cylinders in any habitable space in any vehicle. Trailer or bed of truck only. So if this was acetylene, the fact that it was in a house would seem to point to an intentional leak and they underestimated the magnitude of the destruction? Those tanks are pretty tough I can't imagine one just springing a leak. My knowledge of acetylene tanks is pretty sketchy as I've only used oxyacet on rare occasions, but I seem to recall something about a pressure relief bead or some such being built into the base of the tanks to prevent an overpressure situation that could result in the stuff spontaneously detonating. Or I might be talking out of my ass. Any professional welders care to chime in? |
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[#36]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Acetylene is not permitted to be stored in living spaces or attached to living spaces, like an attached garage. Or in commercial space where customers will be. Even propane is stored outdoors except when in disposable DOT-approved cylinders. Define not permitted for me. I was going to bring my tanks home from the warehouse soon. If you have a fire and investigation shows you had flammable compressed gases like acetylene/propane inside the house, your claim can be denied My welding supply company will not load cylinders in any habitable space in any vehicle. Trailer or bed of truck only. So if this was acetylene, the fact that it was in a house would seem to point to an intentional leak and they underestimated the magnitude of the destruction? Those tanks are pretty tough I can't imagine one just springing a leak. My knowledge of acetylene tanks is pretty sketchy as I've only used oxyacet on rare occasions, but I seem to recall something about a pressure relief bead or some such being built into the base of the tanks to prevent an overpressure situation that could result in the stuff spontaneously detonating. Or I might be talking out of my ass. Any professional welders care to chime in? There are pressure relief valves and thermal relief fittings on all acetylene tank. Higher pressure compressed gas tanks only have over-pressure relief valves. The thermal fittings on an acetylene tank are plugged with a fusible alloy which melts at a bit over 160 F, IIRC. Funky stuff. Like posted elsewhere in this thread, acetylene pressure is under 25 PSI and never withdrawn at over 15 PSI from the regulator. |
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[#37]
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[#38]
Wow. So if that's just a few balloons, then an entire tank looks like it could easily cause that much damage as Keith_J stated earlier. |
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[#39]
Quoted:
Wow. So if that's just a few balloons, then an entire tank looks like it could easily cause that much damage as Keith_J stated earlier. Impossible idea: Homeowner thought bottle was helium, fills balloons in basement for party? |
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[#40]
Its no joke if you have your oxygen mix just right. No way those balloons had just acetylene in them. |
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[#41]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Wow. So if that's just a few balloons, then an entire tank looks like it could easily cause that much damage as Keith_J stated earlier. Impossible idea: Homeowner thought bottle was helium, fills balloons in basement for party? That'd be one hell of an oops. There's another thread on this posted by an ARFcommer who lives really close to the house. He posted and a buddy of mine from the area confirmed that the homeowner has been on the news and there have been lots of inconsistencies/red flags in her story. Apparently everybody including pets were gone from the house for the weekend. There are a lot of other details that seem fishy. I'll see if I can find the other thread. |
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[#42]
http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Ind-home-explosion-now-homicide-investigation-4051981.php
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The house explosion that killed two people and destroyed several homes in an Indianapolis neighborhood is now a homicide investigation, authorities said, though no suspects have been named. |
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[#44]
Quoted: What's the Helvetica view looks like? ![]() But holy fucking shit, what an explosion. |
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[#45]
Quoted:
http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Ind-home-explosion-now-homicide-investigation-4051981.php INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The house explosion that killed two people and destroyed several homes in an Indianapolis neighborhood is now a homicide investigation, authorities said, though no suspects have been named. Someone in Indiana is not sleeping well tonight. |
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[#48]
Deadly Indiana house explosion might not have been an accident
Indianapolis Homeland Security Director Gary Coons announced the criminal investigation Monday evening, shortly after a funeral was held for the husband and wife who had lived next door to the house where investigators believe the blast occurred.
"We are turning this into a criminal homicide investigation," Coons said after meeting with residents, the first public acknowledgement by investigators of a possible criminal element to the Nov. 10 explosion. Search warrants have been executed and officials are now looking for a white van that was seen in the subdivision on the day of the blast, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said. Federal authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information in the case. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-officials-fatal-indianapolis-explosion-fire-now-homicide-investigation-20121119,0,5051932.story |
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[#50]
Quoted:
Deadly Indiana house explosion might not have been an accident officials are now looking for a white van.
They need to ban white vans, they are seen near crimes scenes far too often! |
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