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House explodes in rural Owen County, killing 1 person

Posted at 2:11 PM, Nov 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-16 20:42:34-05

SPENCER, Ind. -- A house exploded in rural Owen County Wednesday, leveling the structure and killing at least one person, officials said.

The explosion happened around 12:30 p.m. near State Road 46 and County Line Road in Owen County, just east of Spencer, Indiana.

Owen County dispatchers originally said there were no injuries reported in the explosion.

As of 4:00 p.m., officials said they had confirmed one person had, in fact, been killed in the blast. The victim's identity has not been released.

Investigators with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the State Fire Marshal are working with the Owen County Sheriff's Department, The Owen Valley Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine the cause of the explosion.

Investigators believe this is an isolated incident and they do not believe there is any threat to public safety. 

The explosion remains under investigation.