Pennsylvania house explosion and fire kills mother and six children: ‘Hear the blast, feel it’

A central Pennsylvania mother and her six children were killed in a powerful explosion and their home was engulfed in flames before rescuers could arrive.Emergency crews were called to a home in Lamar Township near Mill Hall in Clinton County Sunday morning after reports of an explosion and fire. When firefighters arrived, they found the home fully ablaze and confirmed seven people were trapped inside.The fire was so intense that crews were unable to enter the building in time, according to Pennsylvania State Police. All seven passengers died on the spot.Police later identified the victims as 34-year-old Sarah Stolzfus and her six children, including four sons, ages 11, 10, 5 and 3, and two daughters, ages 8 and 6.Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause of the explosion, but early indications are that a propane leak inside the home may have triggered the explosion. Authorities said a propane tank located outside the home did not explode and was not the cause of the explosion.Neighbor Christina Duck described the moment of the explosion in an interview with WNEP-TV.“I heard a loud bang, I could feel it, I stood up and looked out the window and I could see flames through the window, I ran outside and within a minute the whole house was completely engulfed,” Duck said.She added that the family had only moved into the home a few months ago and she often saw the children playing outside.