奥马哈，内布拉斯加州——消防官员说，周二早上，奥马哈一所房屋发生爆炸，造成两人死亡，两人重伤。
奥马哈消防局大队长斯科特·菲茨帕特里克说，消防员在早上8点后不久就对爆炸做出了反应。他说，房子被摧毁了。
菲茨帕特里克说，爆炸还对房屋两侧的房屋造成了严重破坏。奥马哈中南部的爆炸将碎片和其他碎片散落在整个社区，目击者说几英里外都能感觉到和听到。
公用事业公司的工作人员被召集到现场，切断电力和燃气管道。下午三点左右，该地区仍然不对公众开放。
原因没有立即公布。菲茨帕特里克说，市消防和警察部门的调查人员被叫到现场，这是火灾导致死亡的正常程序。
“这将是一个漫长的调查，”他说。
梅勒妮·格拉博斯基住在爆炸房屋的街对面，她告诉《奥马哈世界先驱报》，爆炸发生时她刚遛狗回家。
“我听到了巨大的轰隆声，我的房子摇晃了一下，”格拉博斯基说。"我向外望去，看到碎片在空中飞舞。"
格拉博斯基说，她和她的邻居赶到房子里，发现一个年轻人坐在房子的剩余部分外面。她说，邻居把他裹在毯子里，带着他穿过爆炸现场的街道。
“他的衣服被烧掉了，”她说。
OMAHA, Neb. -- An explosion that leveled a home in Omaha killed two people and left two others critically injured Tuesday morning, fire officials said.
Omaha Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said firefighters responded to the explosion shortly after 8 a.m. The house was destroyed, he said.
The explosion also caused significant damage to homes on either side of the house, Fitzpatrick said. The blast in south-central Omaha rained splintered lumber and other debris throughout the neighborhood, and witnesses said it was felt and heard miles away.
Crews from utility companies were called to the scene to shut off power and gas lines. The area remained closed to the public at mid-afternoon.
The cause was not immediately released. Investigators from the city's fire and police departments were called to the scene, which is normal protocol when fires result in fatalities, Fitzpatrick said.
“This will be a lengthy investigation,” he said.
Melanie Grabowski, who lives down the street from the house that exploded, told the Omaha World-Herald she had just returned home from walking her dog when the explosion occurred.
“I heard a massive boom, and my house shook,” Grabowski said. "I looked outside, and I saw debris flying in the air.”
Grabowski said she and her neighbors rushed to the house and found a young man sitting outside what was left of the house. Neighbors wrapped him in blankets and carried him across the street from the explosion site, she said.
“His clothes were burned off him,” she said.
