STELLA, Mo.
Two people died and another was injured Friday night during an explosion and house fire, authorities said.
The blast Friday night killed Gary English of Granby and Terry Tichenor, who
lived in the Newton County home.Their ages were not immediately available.
Pichenor’s wife was treated and released at Freeman Health System in Joplin,
an emergency room worker said.
The home, which was located in a rural area three miles west of Stella, was
destroyed, said Sgt. Richard Leavens, of the Newton County sheriff’s
department.
The state fire marshal has been called in to investigate.
Leavens said he suspects the cause of the accident was a propane leak. Just afew hours before the explosion, a 100 pound tank had been taken to be filledandreturned to the home. An area where the tank would have come into the home was damaged, he said.