Four dead, one missing after explosion in Pennsylvania 

Four people are dead and one remains unaccounted for after an explosion destroyed three homes and damaged several others in a western Pennsylvania neighborhood.

Officials said at a press conference Saturday night that four people died and one person remains missing after a home appeared to explode before 10:30 a.m. in the borough of Plum, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh. Officials said the explosion destroyed three houses and damaged at least 12 others.

The officials said they have not yet identified the victims, noting that they estimate five people were in the houses closest to the explosion. They also said that one person was transported to the hospital in critical condition and two others were transported in stable condition.

Officials said they suspended operations on Saturday night due to weather and safety concerns, adding that they would be back on the scene Sunday morning. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation by Plum and county law enforcement and the county fire marshal’s office.

Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs said emergency responders had reported that people were trapped under debris after the explosion. Fire crews from at least 18 counties responded to the explosion, aiming to douse the flames from the nearby houses.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.