One person has died after a house explosion in Derry, New Hampshire, Thursday afternoon.
Derry Fire Department Shawn Haggart said crews responded to reports of a house explosion on Goodhue Road around 11:40 a.m. When they arrived they found heavy fire and the building partially collapsed, with one person was unaccounted for.
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The missing person, an elderly woman, was found dead in the home, according to New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey. She was identified as 76-year-old Laura Percival.
A child was taken to a Boston hospital for treatment, but is expected to survive.
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The homeowner, John Giso, told NBC10 Boston that their mother-in-law and 11-year-old daughter were home at the time. His wife told him they were looking out a window and saw a tree fall and hit the house.
"My daughter ran out of the house, one of the neighbors had stopped and she called my wife," he said. "Right now, my daughter is OK, she has some burns to her face.”
The State Medical Examiner's Office will determine cause and manner of death.
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"I called 911, and when I was on the phone with the dispatcher, it just engulfed in flames," said neighbor Joyce Wheeler.
With snow falling and strong winds in the area Thursday morning, it was a challenging call for firefighters.
"Crews were hampered by the obvious weather conditions," Battalion Chief Ron Sebastian said.
An emotional Haggart called it a tragic day.
“It certainly is a tragic day. I’m very proud of all the responders here today and their actions and how they handled this today. I would ask that everybody keeps the family in their thoughts as we process this tragedy. And the same thing for my members, have them in your thoughts as well.”
The exact cause remains under investigation. Part of that investigation will look at whether that falling tree set off the explosion, Toomey said.
“The tree is on the propane tanks. It may be the cause, it’s one of the things we're looking at," Toomey said.
There is no danger to other homes in the area.
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