Two people remain unaccounted for following an explosion and fire at a home in southeast Iowa Tuesday night. The Appanoose County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call shortly after 10 p.m. regarding a fire in Moravia.
The caller stated an explosion occurred and the residents were believed to be inside the house. Firemen arrived to find the two story house fully engulfed in flames, making it impossible to enter the house to search for victims.
Appanoose County Sheriff Gary Anderson says a couple who was renting the house were last seen shortly after 9 p.m. returning to the home. Both of the occupant’s vehicles have been accounted for and it’s believed the couple was in the house at the time of the fire.
The names of the occupants are not being released pending further investigation.
By Mike Buchanan, KBIZ, Ottumwa