Cooper said the explosion was strong enough that it sent debris throughout the neighborhood and caused minor damage to nearby homes.
Two people who have yet to be identified were killed in the explosion, while a third person was taken to the hospital with burns. Cooper said he did not have an update on that person’s condition.
The neighbors we spoke with told us they did not know what was happening when they first heard the noise.
“I was sleeping, got woke by a huge explosion,” said Derrick Gullet, who lives next door.
Another neighbor, Deborah Stoner, said she originally thought a tree fell over onto her property.
The explosion has left the community in shock — some are still unable to process what has happened.
“Wake up make the coffee, then you know you come home and ... some of your neighbors are gone,” said Keith Lampkin, who lives a few houses down from the explosion. “It’s just weird, it’s just really bizarre.”
Some neighbors we spoke with said the result of the explosion looked like something you see during war. Others told me it was nothing they could have imagined.
“You know, how bad could it be? And then when you’re there there’s just a crater, and it’s just like ‘Oh, this was actually much worse than I thought it was gonna be,’” Lampkin said.
Stephanie Young lives down the street from the explosion. When she realized what happened, she ran to help.
“I just immediately thought like if they’re alive, they need help,” Young said.
And she wasn’t the only one to spring to action, other neighbors had the same instinct, hoping to help.
“That’s our neighborhood,” Gullet said. “We all went to help and there’s nothing we could have done.”
Those who knew the couple that lived in the home say they kept to themselves but were kind and always willing to help. And now, they’re willing to step up for the loved ones left behind and come together as a neighborhood.
“If there’s anything that any of the neighbors can do, we would,” said Young.
The League for Animal Welfare in Batavia said there are cats that survived the explosion. Two of those cats, they said, are at their shelter. Two more could be coming later.
“There are cats who have survived, and rescue workers have been trying to catch them and get them care throughout the day,” the shelter said.
They’re asking anyone who can to help foster one or multiple cats.
“I believe we’ll all make it through it together,” said Gullet.
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