Police: 3 people critically injured in Sullivan County propane explosion are improving
The blast in Kiamesha Lake injured two children, Jessie and Savanah Mackerley, ages 5 and 9, and their mother’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Robert McDowell. Their home on James Place and two others were reduced to rubble.
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Police say the conditions of three people critically injured in a devastating propane explosion over the weekend are improving, while the investigation into exactly what happened continues.
The blast in Kiamesha Lake injured two children, Jessie and Savanah Mackerley, ages 5 and 9, and their mother’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Robert McDowell. Their home on James Place and two others were reduced to rubble.
“I’m praying for those who are injured. It’s just unbelievable to think this happened in our community,” says Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.
Gunther is among a group of people who stopped by the Sullivan County neighborhood to see the damage caused by what state police say was a propane gas leak.
On Tuesday, the blockstill looked like a war zone with construction debris, charred housewares and pieces of personal belongings scattered on the ground and in trees. One car at the scene has its windows blown out. A child’s pink backpack was seen abandoned on the trunk.
Town officials say four homes are currently deemed unsafe for occupancy until engineers can determine the extent of the damages. Several other homes are livable but have windows boarded up and door frames blown off.
“All of the windows were blown out on the side and my ceiling is buckled,” says Amber Goldsworthy.
Town officials say crews cleared debris from the street over the weekend so that the road was safe for neighbors but that the homeowners will be responsible for cleaning what’s left behind.
State police say they’re determining who the propane provider was and what caused the propane leak as part of their investigation.
The injured victims remain at Westchester Medical Center and the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital with severe burns, broken bones and lacerations, according to a family representative.
