One person is dead after an explosion at a home in the small village of Newcomerstown.
The explosion happened around 9 p.m. Tuesday on South Beaver Street, according to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office.
Crews removed a body from the home early Wednesday morning. A man who identified himself as a friend of the victim said the man lived alone with his dog.
Officials have not confirmed fatalities to newsnet5.com.
Newcomerstown High School and Elementary School are located on South Beaver Street. The schools will not be in session Wednesday.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: There will be NO School for the district tomorrow (01/27/16). A district all call will go out early AM to confirm the school closings for the day when Cell towers are more available.
Posted by Newcomerstown Board of Education on Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Many social media users have posted photos and videos of the fire:
NCT HOUSE EXPLOSION, January 26, 2016HOUSE EXPLODES IN NEWCOMERSTOWN #1Around 9:00 pm tonight (January 26, 2016), Dean Taylor's house on Beaver Street expoded in a large ball of fire and smoke shaking the entire village. Parts of the house were blown throughout the neighborhood damaging other nearby homes, [1 of 3 videos].
Posted by NEWCOMERSTOWN, OHIO @ Newcomerstown.us on Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Confirmed house explosion on Beaver St in Newcomerstown. Emergency personal have been on scene. No other details available at this time.
Posted by 99.9FM WTUZ on Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Columbia Gas issued this statement to newsnet5.com regarding the incident:
Columbia Gas of Ohio was called to the scene at 540 Beaver Street in Newcomerstown, Ohio. The first priority for our crews at the scene was to ensure the safety of our customers and the community by completing safety checks on our system.
While we believe natural gas was involved in the incident, the circumstances leading up to and ultimately causing the incident are still being investigated. At this time, there is no indication that Columbia's system is at fault.
Columbia Gas will continue to work with authorities investigating the incident. We understand that our customers and those affected by the incident want answers about the cause of the incident, as do we. Time is needed to conduct a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances that lead to, as well as the actual cause of, the incident.
