A mother and her six young children died after a powerful explosion destroyed their home in central Pennsylvania, setting it on fire before rescuers could reach them.Emergency crews were called to a home in Lamar Township, Clinton County, near Mill Hall, Sunday morning, after reports of an explosion and fire. When firefighters arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames, and confirmed that seven people were trapped inside.According to Pennsylvania State Police, the severity of the fire made it impossible for crews to enter the building in a timely manner. All seven passengers died at the scene.Police later identified the victims as 34-year-old Sarah Stolzfus, her six children, four sons ages 11, 10, 5 and 3, and two daughters ages 8 and 6.Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of the explosion, but initial indications indicate that a propane gas leak inside the house may have been the cause of the explosion. Propane tanks outside the home did not explode and were not a factor, authorities said.A neighbor, Christina Duck, described the moment the explosion occurred while speaking to WNEP-TV.
Duck said: “I heard and felt the sound of an explosion, so I got up and looked out the window, and I could see the flames through the windows. Then I ran out and within a minute the entire house was completely engulfed.”She added that the family did not move into the house until a few months ago, and that she often saw the children playing outside.
