An entire block in Chicago's South Side Morgan Park neighborhood was evacuated Tuesday morning after a home in the area exploded.
In a statement, Peoples Gas said a gas line was damaged by a third party just after 8 a.m. The damage resulted in natural gas igniting and causing an explosion to the home on the 2100 block of West 107th Place.
"All of a sudden, I hear a really loud boom. I felt it in my chest," said neighbor Jennifer Meade Magruder.
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The owner of the home that exploded, Darlene Sheahan, was at nearby Sutherland Elementary School, where she is a kindergarten teacher, when the explosion occurred. Sheahan's teenage son, Luke, was also at school. The family's three-year-old dog was inside the home and did not make it.
Officials from the Chicago Fire Department were going door-to-door at 10:30 a.m. shutting off gas to homes.
Peoples Gas said the explosion and fire caused a temporary disruption in service to about 15 homes, but only one customer remains without service as of 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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