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Evansville house explosion victims died of trauma, asphyxia

Posted at 11:36 AM, Aug 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-16 11:36:40-04

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Preliminary autopsy results for the three victims of a house explosion in a southern Indiana neighborhood show they died of blunt force trauma and compression asphyxia.

The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office said Monday that a married couple who lived at the center of the Wednesday explosion in Evansville, 43-year-old Charles Hite and 37-year-old Martina Hite, both died of blunt force trauma to their chests.

It says 29-year-old neighbor Jessica Teague died of compression asphyxia. Chief Deputy Coroner David Anson says final autopsy reports and toxicology are pending.

The explosion also injured a fourth person and damaged 39 homes, leaving 11 uninhabitable.