Brothers aged 10 and 12 are among five people killed in smalltown house explosion in Pennsylvania

Four young siblings aged between nine and 13 died in an exploding house that also killed their grandmother, and left a married couple critically-ill.  

Police identified Jeremiah White, 12, and Nehemiah White, 10, as the two young boys who died in Thursday’s blast in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, which still hasn’t been explained. 

Also killed were the boys’ two siblings: Tristan, 9, and Alana, 13. The fifth person killed was the children’s grandmother, Francine, 67, according to a Go Fund Me page set up by the dead siblings’ older sister Destiny McKee.

The father of the four children killed in the blast and his wife are also critically-ill. Eugene White, 44, and his wife Kristina Matuzsan-White, 32, remain in hospital. 

The explosion’s cause is still being investigated, Borough Manager Justin Keller said at a news conference Friday. 

All seven members of the family lived in the house at the time of the incident.

The blast occurred just after 8 p.m. on Thursday in the small town located just about  40 miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Washington Street and Butler Avenue. First responders arrived on the scene just after 7 p.m., following calls made by witnesses.

According to a GoFundMe page dedicated to the burial expenses of the victims, the four children who died in the home explosion are all identified in this picture – Jeremiah, 12, Nehemiah, 10, Tristan, 9, and Alana, 13

Jeremiah and Nehemiah White (left), 10 and 12 years old respectively, were among the five victims killed in the Pottstown, Pennsylvania, explosion on Thursday night

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Eugene White (left), 44, and the father of all four deceased children, and Kristina Matuzsan-White (right) are said to be in critical condition

An old wedding photo posted by Matuzsan-White (center) shows her marriage to Eugene White (second from left), accompanied by the four children who died in the home explosion – Alana (first from right), Jeremiah and Nehemiah, and Tristan White

A pair of twin homes were reported to have also been destroyed, according to the Pottstown Mercury.

One local posting on a Facebook group for the area claimed the area had smelt strongly of gas several weeks ago, but there has been no confirmation that the explosion was gas-related and no connection between the home’s gas line and propane tank have been found.

On Friday, Cathy McKee, shared the death of her sons, Jeremiah and Nehemiah, on Facebook. 

‘Today I learned that I lost my two youngest sons Jeremiah and Nehemiah in the house explosion in Pottstown,’ she shared.

‘My mind has yet to accept the reality that I will never see their smile again, my heart is so broken I can’t start to express the pain. Please just pray for me, my family and the families that are affected by the tragic accident,’ McKee added.  

Mother Cathy McKee shared the passing of her two sons and brothers, Jeremiah and Nehemiah, on Facebook on Friday

Caution tape cordons off the scene of the deadly explosion in a residential neighborhood in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday morning. The blast also destroyed two other homes

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The house exploded northwest of Philadelphia. It is not known what caused the explosion to take place

The incident occurred on Washington Street and Butler Avenue. First responders arrived on the scene just after 7 p.m., following a call for an explosion

An investigator, center top, moves through the scene of the deadly explosion on Friday

Debris could be seen spread out all over the property of where the house once stood after last night’s blast

Investigators conducted a search at the home on Friday as the investigation in what caused the blast continues

Residents in the neighborhood hear a loud boom when the explosion occurred just 24 hours ago. Pictured: Investigators working the scene of the deadly explosion on Friday

People who live in the neighborhood claim to have heard a loud blast and then came out to see a bunch of homes either damaged or destroyed.  

‘I heard a huge explosion,’ Russell Noll, a resident, said NBC10 after the explosion. ‘I thought a bomb went off. I thought somebody dropped a bomb somewhere. And then all the sirens started going off. And it wasn’t too far from where I lived.’ 

‘So I started walking towards where the sirens and ambulance were going and it was just a huge explosion around the whole area.’

Another resident, Ashley Miller, said she was sitting on her bed when the back window of the room blew out.

‘We thought that either an earthquake was happening or that someone crashed into the building,’ said another neighbor, Katie Washabaugh, to Fox 29.  

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The two other homes that were destroyed by the explosion were at the corner of Butler and Hale St in the Pennsylvania small town

Local fire and police, as well as state police, the ATF and the Red Cross are still at the seen, as the investigation is ongoing.

The local Red Cross chapter announced that it would assist the victims with temporary housing at Pottstown High School. 

‘The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania has now provided a total of 9 families [25 people] with immediate emergency assistance, including shelter, food, personal care items and emotional support, following Thursday night’s explosion in Pottstown,’ Red Cross spokesperson Alana Mauger said in a statement.

Schools in Pottstown – which has about 22,000 residents – have been canceled for all students on Friday.  

‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to those families,’ Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez wrote. ‘When schools open again, our counselors and psychologists will be available to provide support.’