Marine's wife killed in Calif. propane explosion
The explosion around 9 p.m. Friday occurred at a housing unit in the Mono County town of Coleville
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The Associated Press
COLEVILLE, Calif. — Military officials say the wife of a U.S. Marine died and a Navy corpsman and his wife were injured in a propane gas explosion outside a remote Northern California training base.
The officials were still not releasing the victims' identities Saturday morning, saying they were in the process of contacting next of kin.
The explosion around 9 p.m. Friday occurred at a housing unit in the Mono County town of Coleville for the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.
Seven residences were damaged and 38 families were evacuated.
Marine spokesman Capt. Nicholas Mannweiler said the families have not been cleared to return to their homes. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is investigating the explosion.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
A propane gas explosion damaged several residences in a housing unit for a U.S. Marine Corps training base in northern California, killing one person and injuring two others, an official said Saturday.
The blast around 9 p.m. PST Friday in Coleville damaged seven residences, forcing the temporary evacuation of 38 families, Marine spokesman Capt. Nicholas Mannweiler said.
The privatized military housing area in Coleville is about 30 miles from the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, where the Marines train for mountain operations.
Mannweiler, the public affairs director for the base, said the two injured were rushed to area hospitals suffering from serious burns and shock. He did not have further details. Some others had superficial cuts and bruises.
He said "two separate families were impacted" by the blast, but he did not disclose any other information on the identities of the casualties. Officials had said earlier up to five people had been injured.
"A propane gas leak ignited due to unknown causes," Mannweiler said. He said it was related to the military housing area's propane distribution system, and was not associated with activities at the Marine base. The blast is under investigation.
The families were evacuated mainly due to a lack of utilities and bad weather, Mannweiler said. They are staying with friends or at other homes in the off-base unit, made up of duplexes and stand-alone residences.
The base fire department and Antelope Valley volunteer fire department put out the fire caused by the blast.
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