Family of four killed in home explosion in Ohio
Fire crews trying to determine what caused the blast
A couple and their two daughters were killed late Monday in a house explosion that rocked a northeast Ohio neighborhood.
The blast and subsequent fire happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. in Northfield Center Township in Summit County, approximately 20 miles south of Cleveland.
Fire Chief Frank Risko said the bodies of a mother and her two daughters, aged 8 and 12, were found on the first floor near the front of the home. The father was found near the back of the house. Authorities did not immediately identify the victims.
WJW reported that though firefighters were initially called to the home for reports of a gas explosion, investigators have not confirmed what caused the tragedy. Officials with the gas company do not believe the explosion was caused by a gas leak, but it has not been ruled out.
Randy Nickschinski lives two doors down. He told Cleveland.com that he and his son, Nate, rushed to the house and kicked in the front door. The family's dog quickly escaped. Then he, his son and another neighbor went inside and yelled for the family, but no one answered.
"There was a lot of fire, a lot of debris," Nickschinski said. "We were yelling and nothing. We were just looking everywhere."
Nickschinski's daughter, Danielle, told the website that she had done babysitting for the family's two young girls.
"They were very outgoing and nice," she said. "They always wanted to play."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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