The house explosion occurred Tuesday in the 1000 block of Mount Cobb Road in Jefferson Township.
Eyewitness News (WBRE/WYOU)
JEFFERSON TWP. — A second death has been reported following a house explosion on Tuesday in Jefferson Township, according to our news gathering partners at Eyewitness News (WBRE/WYOU).
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio told WBRE/WYOU News that 91-year-old Leon W. Gruss died around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at the hospital.
Buglio stated Gruss’s cause of death was due to severe burns that he sustained from the house explosion.
75-year-old Diane Gruss died on the scene of the explosion Tuesday in the 1000 block of Mount Cobb Road in Jefferson Township.
Authorities were to return to the scene Wednesday to continue the investigation.
According to initial Eyewitness News reporting, it took crews from across the area four hours to stop the smoke and reopen the roadway after the explosion Tuesday.
Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall told WBRE/WYOU that a propane leak from an unknown source within the house caused the explosion, although it’s unclear what ignited the propane at this time.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.