Three people were killed on Wednesday when a house in Evansville, Indiana, exploded in a blast that damaged 39 other homes, officials said.
One person was taken to a hospital after the explosion happened just before 1 p.m., according to Evansville Fire Chief Mike Connelly.
Some of the homes were damaged so badly that they were not safe to enter, and a search for more victims had not yet been completed by Wednesday evening, he said.
The explosion, which occurred on North Weinbach Avenue, was under investigation, officials said.
The blast analysis was completed by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The identities of the dead and other details were not being released until next of kin are notified, the Vanderburgh County Coroner s Office said.
The utility company CenterPoint Energy arrived and made the area safe, and Connelly said that its equipment did not detect any natural gas, but that the cause of the explosion was still being determined.
CenterPoint said in a statement that it responded to the explosion, the company is working closely with the fire department, the state fire marshal and other agencies.