MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The investigation into what sparked the explosion that killed the father of Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley continues, but officials suspect it may have been a natural gas leak.
WSOC reported that the center of the explosion happened in a bedroom at the Mooresville, North Carolina home owned by Farley. Iredell County emergency officials believe gas accumulated from a natural gas pipeline over a period of time.
“For as large as a house that was, that gas was there for a while and finally found its way to an ignition source and caused the explosion,” Emergency Management Director Kent Greene said, according to ABC News.
They believe it was an accident.
Robert Farley, 61, was found dead in the debris, The Associated Press reported.
Neighbors told WSOC that they felt the explosion when it happened.
“This wasn’t a small explosion,” Erica Shields said. “The whole thing is just gone, and it was just standing there not too long ago and now it’s gone.”
She visited the property after work on Tuesday, not knowing that her friend Christian Rogers, had been staying. Rogers was “exiting the house” when first responders got to the property early Tuesday morning. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital. He was alert and talking on Tuesday night, WSOC reported.
The AP reported he had a concussion.
“There could not be anyone in it left alive — that was my first thought,” Greene said, according to the AP. “And when I found out someone did walk out of it, I was amazed. This was a 6,300-square-foot home, and there’s nothing left but maybe a part of the garage.”
“I’m in total shock and disbelief and I’m trying not to cry to find out that it was his house,” Shields said.
Another neighbor, six houses away heard it happen too.
“I heard a loud explosion and almost a collapsing sound, a big crunching sound,” Pete Schuerger told WSOC. “I turned to my wife and said that sounded like a house exploding.”
He said his house shook and felt the air get “sucked out.”
No other homes were damaged in the explosion, the AP reported.
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