A mother and her 2-year-old daughter were making pancakes in their kitchen in Massachusetts when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, resulting in injuries to both. Fire officials in Taunton, Mass., reported to local outlets WJAR and WCVB that the explosion, which occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 25, not only injured Lucitha Blanc, 25, and her 2-year-old daughter, Jenelle, but also engulfed a three-family home in flames.
Blanc's boyfriend, Shnider Germilus, shared that at the time of the explosion, Lucitha and Jenelle were in their second-floor apartment making pancakes. He was even on the phone chatting with them when the explosion occurred. "I heard a big boom and my daughter screaming and my girl screaming," he told WCVB. "She turned the stove on, and it exploded in her face. My daughter was right next to her when it happened. When it happened, she ran."
First responders quickly transported Blanc to Rhode Island Hospital, while 2-year-old Jenelle was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital. Fire Chief Steven P. Lavigne said that Blanc was able to escape the blaze at first but went back inside once she realized her daughter was still inside. Germilus also noted that the cold may have prevented Lucitha from smelling the natural gas before the explosion.
Rescue efforts were further complicated by the blizzard that hit the town of Taunton on Monday, dropping nearly 30 inches of snow. Some parts of the town were still digging out on Wednesday. A neighbor, William Shivers, recounted how neighbors helped dig out fire hydrants that were buried under snow. "It was really hot. You could feel the flames at my house," he said, recalling how he looked out the window when he heard the explosion. "So, we all just came out and tried to do the best we can to help out our neighbors."
Lavigne added that the exact location of the gas leak and the cause of ignition are still under investigation. "Our thoughts remain with the mother and daughter who were seriously injured, as well as everyone affected by this incident," said the fire chief.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay their medical bills and search for a new home since their building was completely destroyed in the explosion. A family member confirmed that nearly all of their belongings were destroyed. The page has raised more than $30,000 as of Thursday.
Germilus told WCVB that his girlfriend and daughter are on the path to recovery and is thankful that he "can hold [his] baby again once she fully recovers." The police reported that three families lived at the home that exploded on Wednesday, and it is now considered a total loss. Eight residents have been displaced as a result, and two adjacent homes sustained serious burn damage.
