Investigators Discover Cause of Vernon House Explosion; Child Rescued from the Scene Released from Hospital

VERNON, CT — Officials have discovered the cause of the house explosion in Vernon just as one of the children rescued on Thursday was released from the hospital, a police spokesman said Saturday.

Investigators said at a news conference Saturday that the source of the accidental explosion was from a propane leak from a gas line supplying a dryer in the home.

Among the other victims, the 15-year-old and 7-year-old are still at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, but are in good condition, Vernon police spokesman Lt. William Meier said.

The adult male taken from the scene is in stable condition and the female is in critical condition, Meier said.

The explosion at 4 East St. rocked the tight-knit neighborhood in the Rockville section of town at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. That section of town features older houses packed close together surrounded by old factory complexes. The explosion blew out the lower section of the house, and the roof collapsed.

Inside the house were a 7-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, police said.

Outside the home were two girls, 11 and 12, and a 60-year-old man, police said.

See the full account of the explosion and rescue efforts here.

Patch will update this report as new information is learned.