‘Scary’: House explosion in Michigan kills 4, hurts 2, shakes residents miles away

Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on December 31, 2023

(NEW YORK) — At least four people were killed and two others were critically injured when a house in a rural area of Michigan exploded and sent debris a mile away, authorities said.

The blast unfolded around 4 p.m. Saturday in Whitmore Lake near Northfield Township, about 14 miles north of Ann Arbor, and completely leveled a home, leaving just its foundation surrounded by splintered wood and other blast debris, Lt. David Powell of the Northfield Township Police Department said.

Six people were inside the home when the explosion occurred, Powell said. The names of those who perished have not been released, pending notification of their relatives.

The two survivors were taken to Michigan Medicine, a trauma center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where they were listed in critical condition, Powell said.

Residents 9 miles away reported hearing the blast, Powell told reporters at the scene.

“It sounded like something I remember from war. It was that loud,” said Scott McMillian, a 40-year resident of Whitmore Lake who lives about a mile from the explosion, told Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ. “Even in war, I have never heard of anything of this level at this distance.”

McMillian said he found debris from the explosion in his yard. Some residents posted videos on social media of a cloud of smoke and debris in the sky.

The cause of the explosion remained under investigation Sunday by the Northfield Township Police Department.

Powell said homes in the area of the explosion were not damaged.

McMillian told WXYZ he dove for cover when he heard the blast.

“I went facedown on the ground and covered the back of my head, and the whole house shook,” McMillian said. “It was scary.”