Society's Child

Two killed, homes destroyed in huge Indianapolis explosion

NBC News
Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:07 UTC

At least two people were killed and 18 homes damaged by a thunderous explosion in a south Indianapolis neighborhood late Saturday night, NBC affiliate WTHR reported.

Dramatic images from the scene showed large fires and destroyed homes. Among the pictures were some posted to Twitter by Indianapolis Star photographer Matt Kryger.

Local fire officials confirmed to WTHR early Sunday that at least two people died in the explosion.

The blast was reported shortly after 11 p.m. near South Sherman Drive and Stop 11 Road on the south side of Indianapolis, WTHR said.

"Multiple houses engulfed in flames. Even the police officers that got to the scene before I did were not sure what happened. Kind of a surreal scene, even for police officers," Marion County Sheriff John Layton told the station.

The cause of the explosion and fires wasn't immediately clear, but Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard dismissed reports of a possible plane crash as he arrived at the scene. Fire officials said separately that investigators would be checking whether natural gas was possibly involved but they had no further details on what was behind the blast that sent tall flames skyward.

Ballard said at least two homes had been destroyed by the powerful blast and that the damage went on "for blocks on end."

Television video showed tall flames shooting overhead and spreading to numerous homes shortly after the blast reported around 11 p.m. Saturday. Hours after the flames pierced the skyline, firefighters had begun containing the flames and thick clouds of gray smoke billowed overhead.

"It was so strong that it clearly had an effect for blocks," Ballard said from the area. Beyond the burning homes there was wider damage in the neighborhood: windows shattered in nearby homes, walls caved in and garage doors were knocked off their hinges.

Residents were told to evacuate to a nearby elementary school and people could be seen shivering in white blankets handed out to them as they moved off.

Ballard said investigators will have to see what they find in coming days.

"We're going to need some comforting in the next few days," he said.

Earlier, Capt. Rita Burris with the Indianapolis Fire Department told The Associated Press that the scene looked like something out of a war zone. "It's really messy," she said soon after it began.

Comment: A potential impact event?

Reader Comments

Marctavius · 2012-11-11T10:49:29Z

Strange

I live about 40 miles (approx.) from the area of the explosion so it's all that the local stations are talking about. The first calls to 911 and the early news coverage all reported an apparent plane crash. This is the forst overhead video of the area I've been able to find.
[Link]
There were also several reports about 6 p.m. from about 50 miles Northwest of the impacted area of a loud explosion.
One other possible point of interest. There was a 4.2 earthquake overnight in Kentucky. I have no idea if the two are connected, but being in the same general area it's a possibility.

GRiM · 2012-11-11T11:30:19Z

Ariel photo

[Link]

Niall · 2012-11-11T15:03:46Z

I don't see any plane wreckage. It would have to have been a pretty small but fast-flying craft. Still, we're left with the initial impressions that the source of the explosion came from above.

Rabelais · 2012-11-11T13:02:06Z

Potential impact...

... or a meth lab.

Rowan Cocoan · 2012-11-11T20:04:39Z

Meth Lab Risks are Hyped Drug War BS.

Meth Lab Risks Hyped for Drug War BS.

Disclaimer - Knowing the nature of our "BS/Disinformation fueled drug war," I wrote the above before researching it, which only confirmed it, and even though I've never done meth, nor do I know how to make meth, nor do I desire to.

That said, quick research reveals that Meth Lab explosions rarely, if ever occur. Moreover, when they do, they are more like a backdraft flash fire caused by opening a door and giving a rush of oxygen to a fire that's almost gone out for the lack of O2. (OK, I just typed that, then looked on wikipedia and found this description: "backdraft is an explosive event at a fire resulting from rapid re-introduction of oxygen to combustion in an oxygen-starved environmen" so my basic common sense approach seems to remain on track.)

The "largest meth lab explosion" I could find yielded this article, and picture, at [Link]which shows a wooden framed house aflame, and appears little different from any typical wooden house fire, although I'm confident it likely began far more quickly than a normal house fire would.

Compare that picture with the arial photo link provided by GRiM, above, which provides FAR more information than the above article or its pictures. That appears to show a world record explosion for a propane filled home, times four! More likely, some real explosives were there, and perhaps the place was prepping for "our" next false flag, a la Operation Gladio? (The best way to ultimately tell if that was/is the case will be the overall press coverage, lack thereof, and/or amount of disinformation therein. It sure should be easy enough to find out who lived at that address, and if corporate owned, who owns that corporation, its links, etc., and yet, that's not being focused on, last I was aware, although I've not bothered to research it, nor will I.)

Finally, by all accounts, meth labs are rather smelly,due to the volume of ammonia and acetone, and sundry solvents, I imagine - and their creators are unlikely to go out of their way to place themselves in the middle of zero lot line, high rent suburbia, chock full of Neighborhood Watch Busybodies, Cop wannabes a/k/a, authoritarian followers.

R.C.

Luke · 2012-11-11T14:45:48Z

What I want to know, is if this was a meteor overhead explosion, how come the other houses surrounding the central houses are pretty much OK? From link that Grim posted.

To me it seems the explosion started from one of those houses in the center and blew outwards sending debri outwards. I would hazard a guess that the very middle house of the 3 is responsible as it has been completely obliterated. Also I think you can see the nature of the explosion from the scatter pattern and the damage on the surrounding houses. The damage is on walls facing the origin of explosion.

Also if it was an overhead explosion with heat heading towards the ground, wouldn't the surrounding grass be burnt?

Finally if it was an overhead explosion, it does seem to be quite precise and concentrated on a specific area. (Those 3 houses and especially the middle one)

Anyways just some thoughts.

GRiM · 2012-11-11T16:16:33Z

Dont forget the after-fire from whatever it was. Im sure it took a while to put it out, so the initial blast might have been smaller. Though I guess it could have come from inside too, I cant really tell from the picture.

Luke · 2012-11-11T17:10:42Z

my money is that it came from inside. I like what Rabelais said, some kind of lab(maybe meth?) in that house or maybe they had a whole bunch of gas canisters. I just don't see how it could have been caused by it being struck from outside.

Hopefully they do a follow up story to let the public know what happened.

But the thing is, if it was an overhead explosion, I doubt they'd say as such.

bloopnation · 2012-11-13T17:58:00Z

Hi Luke,

I comment on YAHOO news articles often and I spoke with someone that lives 7 miles from this event and asked him what happened prior to the explosion and he said "There was a bright light then I heard the explosion."

Thanks.

Joe · 2012-11-11T17:24:48Z

Right now

I tend to think it was a gas explosion. Although the quake in the area around that time is interesting.

Rowan Cocoan · 2012-11-11T21:09:57Z

2D Grade Teacher and Audio Engineer H.

2D Grade Teacher and Audio Engineer H.

H: John Dion Longworth and W: Jennifer Longworth,

H: [Link]
Couple: [Link]and,
[Link]
Plenty of online presence for both before this and from that they certainly seem like nice enough folks & I doubt (duh) they were making meth. The strange part is how a home could get THAT filled with gas and have no one notice... No fireballs there that night, right? If that, it looks like a 90 degree impact, as opposed to that 45 degree-ish Louisiana strike through the train a about a month or so ago.

Death:
It gets the best of us,
the worst of us,
and in the end,
it gets the rest of us.

R.C.

bloopnation · 2012-11-13T11:26:11Z

Photos of the scene

The aerial photos... what are those black squares on every roof top? Solar panels? Anyone know?

Thanks.

Rowan Cocoan · 2012-11-13T11:41:20Z

"Ticky Tacky exhaust vents"

I think those are the Ticky Tacky exhaust vents

"Little Boxes. On a Hillside
Little boxes made of Ticky Tacky..." (Malvina Reynolds/Pete Seeger)

First, I assume you're referencing GRiM's photo link. No. They're not solar panels, as they aren't all facing the same general direction, which in that area would be simply south, and they're too small. (It would be great if they were! Publicly released tech solar energy panels are usually far larger in order to be economically functional.)

My guess is that they're attic exhaust vents. They're too consistently organized in discrete rows and nearest the roof line peaks, to be associated with plumbing vents or bathroom/kitchen fan outlets, but I could be wrong...(It happened once . . . but I was mistaken... heh heh)

R.C.

bloopnation · 2012-11-13T15:46:36Z

Ticky Tacky exhaust vents

Seems like a LARGE amount of vents. I shall research this matter. Thanks, RC

Bricks in the wall. Not left alone though. Do the teachers not see themselves as proper peer-group mates? Or are they predatory?

Ectomorph

" Comment: Encouraging news, but it could be a feint. The same regulations on censorship and centralization of power could still be brought in...

KRNABRNY

At the end of the day - may the best ideas prevail. The chips are on the table. Place your bets!

Buffalo_Ken

Excellent SOTT comment.

Dwoods44

Quote: "You gotta include the media, think tanks, and academia in this — in addition to the military-industrial complex and the political class....

Dwoods44

Society's Child

Two killed, homes destroyed in huge Indianapolis explosion

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