Investigators: Accumulating natural gas led to house blast

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Investigators say natural gas accumulated in a house in North Carolina for several days before a fatal explosion.

News outlets report the Charlotte Fire Department says the gas ignited within a few minutes of the residents entering the house on July 2, killing 58-year-old Rania Karam. Her husband, Jebran Karam, called 911 about the explosion and helped firefighters once they arrived. Investigators said the couple had been on vacation.

While the explosion has been deemed accidental, a task force says investigators haven’t found the source of the leak or what may have ignited it.

The fire department says an outside investigation is expected to take months. Insurance carriers and specialized engineers will do forensic testing and examinations of the house’s natural gas equipment as part of that investigation.