One Dead; Three Injured In Bizarre Explosion

Grantham, New Hampshire—January 5, 2002

Four men clearing snow from an elevated tennis court at Eastman Community found themselves hurled into the air by a deadly explosion, then buried in rubble and snow.

A witness, Dr. Scott Irvine, says one of the men was found nearly 20 feet away. Authorities say two others were blown over a 12-foot fence. One of the men was killed, another is critically injured, the third has broken bones and the fourth was treated at the scene.

Investigators don't know yet what caused the blast, but Irvine says one of the victims reported hitting something with a snowblower and then hearing a loud boom. Irvine says he saw a stream of fire spewing from a gas pipe when he got to the scene.