Back-to-Back Miss. House Explosions That Killed 1 Prompt Federal Investigation

Anna Lazarus Caplan, Chris Barilla
·3 min read

The two incidents occurred in the same neighborhood in Jackson, and resulted in the death of an 82-year-old woman

  • Federal authorities are investigating two home explosions, one of which spread fire and destroyed a third home, in Jackson, Miss.

  • An 82-year-old woman named Clara Barbour died when her house exploded early on the morning of Jan. 24, and a second explosion on Jan. 27 destroyed two homes with no deaths or injuries

  • A preliminary report from the NTSB stated that both explosion locations had gas leaks that were identified before the incidents

Federal authorities are investigating two home explosions in Jackson, Mississippi, the first of which caused the death of an 82-year-old woman, and the second of which spread fire that destroyed a neighboring home last month.

Officials with the National Transportation and Safety Board — which oversees gas explosions in addition to its more customary aviation and rail accidents — released a preliminary report on Tuesday following the two incidents, one of which claimed the life of Clara Barbour.

At approximately 8:14 a.m. local time on Jan. 24, "a home explosion and fire" occurred at 185 Bristol Blvd. in Jackson, which resulted in Barbour's death and one injury, the NTSB stated.

Related: Mom of 3 Dies Trying to Save Her Kids from Georgia House Fire: ‘She's a Hero,’ Sister Says

The NTSB then added that "a second explosion" occurred at 1146 Shalimar Drive at 4:34 a.m. on Jan. 27, roughly 0.7 miles southeast of the first explosion. The fire from the second explosion then spread to a neighboring home, but no fatalities or injuries were reported from that incident.

All three homes involved in both explosions on Jan. 24 and Jan. 27 were destroyed, according to the NTSB's report.

A homeowner was able to escape the fire, but Barbour’s body was later found burned beyond recognition, ABC affiliate WAPT-TV reported.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The NTSB's preliminary report stated that Atmos Energy Corporation provided natural gas to the homes involved in the explosions.

Although the NTSB found that the operating pressure of the pipeline was about 336 lbs. per square inch gauge (psig), underneath their maximum operable level, their report also revealed that Atmos identified "nonhazardous" leaks in their distribution system near the explosion locations before they happened. Still, it did not repair them at the time.

"Both before and after NTSB investigators arrived, Atmos conducted postaccident leak inspections at both locations and found leaks on mechanical couplings near the previously identified leaks," the agency's report also stated. "Atmos detected subsurface gas at the leaks nearest locations 1 and 2, the homes where the explosions occurred, and near the foundations of adjacent homes."

Related: Mom Rescues 2 of Her Kids from House Fire, But Dies After Going Back to Save 1-Year-Old Son

Earlier this month, Atmos officials met with residents, including some of the estimated 100 people who temporarily lost gas when the utility company initially cut the lines to investigate the issue, WAPT reported.

A second report, which will provide a more accurate description of the cause of the explosion and whether any safety measures were missed, could take up to 24 months to complete, Holloway said.

“The investigation is still very much in its infancy and ongoing," Holloway added.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.