Mother and 6 children killed in explosion and fire at central Pennsylvania home

MILL HALL, Pa. — A mother and six children ranging in age from 3 to 11 were killed in an explosion and fire at a central Pennsylvania home, authorities said.

Firefighters responding to a report of an explosion and fire at a home in Lamar Township in Clinton County near Mill Hall on Sunday morning confirmed that seven people were trapped, but they could not search the building engulfed in flames, Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement. All seven died and police identified them as Sarah Stolzfus, 34, four sons, ages 11, 10, 5 and 3, and two daughters, ages 8 and 6.

The cause is under investigation. A propane leak inside the home may have caused the explosion and fire, police said, noting that exterior propane tanks did not explode and were not contributing factors for the explosion and fire.

Neighbor Christina Duck told WNEP-TV she was eating breakfast when it began.

“And I heard a boom and I could feel it and I got up and looked out the window and I could see the flames through the windows and I come running outside and within a minute the whole house was completely engulfed,” Duck said. The family moved in a couple of months ago, Duck said, noting that she often saw the children outside playing.