Deadly Gas Explosion Kills At Least Five In Allentown, Pennsylvania

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Fire officials say three people died and two remain missing after a natural gas explosion rocked a downtown neighborhood in eastern Pennsylvania last night.

Allentown fire Chief Robert Scheirer says the victims in the blast range in age from 4 months to 79 years old. Scheirer said today that emergency workers are still searching for two people.

Six people had been reported missing earlier, but Scheirer says officials believe one of them was not home at the time of the blast.

The blaze burned for hours while utility crews worked to shut off the gas that fed the flames.