Gas odor preceded deadly Mass. explosion

BOSTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A report of a strong natural gas odor was received by Bay State Gas minutes before a home explosion killed one person in Scituate, Mass., an official said.

Bay State Gas spokesman Don DiNunno said a neighbor to the ranch home that exploded this week had contacted the gas company about a gas odor and the company had dispatched a technician to the site prior to the blast, The Boston Globe said Thursday.

Authorities say the exact cause of Wednesday's explosion, which killed an unidentified individual and damaged seven other homes, has yet to be determined.

"It's an ongoing investigation," state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said. "At this time, there has been a confirmed fatality."

Scituate Fire Chief Richard A. Judge told the Globe at least 15 people were displaced by the explosion and the damage it caused.

Neighborhood residents told the newspaper the explosion was so loud they thought an airplane had crashed or a bombing had taken place nearby.