Man, woman killed in Pennsylvania house explosion

March 12 (UPI) -- A man and a woman were found dead Tuesday after a house exploded in Pennsylvania.

Officials in Crescent Township -- near Pittsburgh -- and Allegheny County said they received multiple calls shortly before 9 a.m. that there had been a "severe" explosion, which was felt throughout the area.

"We all felt and heard the explosion," Allegheny County Division Fire Chief Andrew Tomer told reporters Tuesday.

"Instantly, a column of white smoke up in the air followed by a thick column of black smoke. It was a very significant explosion. You could feel it in your chest, you could definitely feel the explosion," Tomer said.

Upon arriving at the scene, fire crews found the house "completely leveled" with a fire burning throughout the foundation and on a nearby hill. After searching what was left of the home, crews found the bodies of a man and a woman. The medical examiner has not released their identities.

Two other homes were damaged in the blast, but no one else was killed or injured, according to fire officials.

While investigators from Allegheny County's emergency management and fire marshal staff are still trying to determine what caused the blast, Tomer said there was "natural gas on site from a private well" and propane tanks at the home. The Bureau Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is also working the investigation.