MADISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- A natural gas leak contributed to Monday's deadly home explosion in southeastern Franklin County.
Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office and Columbia Gas have been on the scene since Monday.
Wednesday night, they were still there searching for answers.
State investigators said they have preliminarily determined that the explosion was related to a natural gas leak.
The origin of that leak - whether inside the home, or out - is still unknown.
Columbia Gas confirms there was a gas "incident" of some kind. They too are working to find the source.
In an updated statement released Wednesday afternoon, Columbia Gas said, "Our crews have conducted thorough inspections of our service lines and main lines and confirmed they are safe. Based on our inspections and observations to date, we remain confident that our main lines and service lines did not contribute to this incident."
It was 4 a.m. Monday that the two-story home on Everson Road East in Madison Township exploded, with two people and a dog inside.
The man who lived there, 59 year-old Stewart Bell, was thrown from the home.
His longtime girlfriend, 54 year-old Shelly Williams, was trapped in the debris.
Neighbors ran to the scene to help rescue her. She was rushed to the hospital, where she died later that day.
The family dog crawled out of the rubble about 45 minutes after the explosion.
Columbia Gas is stressing to the public that if you smell the odor of natural gas, leave the area immediately, call 911 and your gas company.
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Updated statement from Columbia Gas:
Our thoughts are with the family and community dealing with the loss and impact of the tragic incident in Madison Township.
In cooperation with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Madison Township Fire Department, and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Columbia Gas of Ohio has participated in the investigation of the incident at 3335 Everson Road East.
Our crews have conducted thorough inspections of our service lines and main lines and confirmed they are safe. Based on our inspections and observations to date, we remain confident that our main lines and service lines did not contribute to this incident.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office will continue its investigation to determine the actual cause of the incident. We will continue to support their investigation.
