NEW BOSTON, N.H. (WHDH) — A home under construction exploded Tuesday morning in a neighborhood in New Boston, New Hampshire, trapping and killing a person who was working in the basement.
Emergency crews said they responded at around 10:30 a.m. to a home on Foxberry Drive after receiving several 911 calls reporting a blast that some said could be felt as far as 15 miles away.
When crews arrived at the scene, they found massive flames burning at a home that was completely leveled.
“We all felt this giant boom,” said Lori Kyer. “You could feel the heat. The smoke plume could be seen from the center of town.”
The home was unoccupied but there was a painter working in the basement when the explosion happened, according to police. The real estate agent for the house said it is currently for sale and there is a 500-gallon propane tank buried on the property.
Police said the explosion caused the home’s first floor to collapse onto the basement. Crews cleared the rubble and the medical examiner found the body of 46-year-old Antonio De Souza, of Nashua.
Police said witnesses ran to the scene and spoke with De Souza, who was trapped inside, before the home went up in flames. No other injuries were reported.
“An off-duty fire member, as well as a neighbor, heard the explosion and came to the house. They were able to converse back and forth with him,” said Danielle Cole, of the state fire marshal’s office. “He said that he was hurt and unable to move.”
Because of the home’s remote location, crews were forced to bring in 3,000 feet of hose to battle the flames.
“In the country we don’t have hydrant systems. We have water where you can get it,” said New Boston Fire Chief Daniel MacDonald. “That’s one of the difficulties of always fighting fires here.”
The cause of the explosion is under investigation but investigators said the propane tank may have played a role.
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