One person is dead and 15 more are injured, after a house in Murrieta, California, exploded Monday afternoon.
Crews from the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) were at the home fixing a natural gas line that was reported damaged by a contractor working on the house. The explosion occurred about an hour after the crew arrived, and the fire department was already on the scene.
The deceased was confirmed to be an employee of SoCalGas. The 15 injured are being treated. Three of the injured are firefighters, Murrieta Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief David Lantzer told reporters Monday night. He did not provide details about the severity of the others' injuries.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of today's incident which took the life of one of our employees, injured firefighters, and impacted others," SoCalGas said in a statement. "Our focus now is on working with first responders to make the area safe, and supporting all those involved."