2 people and 1 dog dead in explosion at Princeton House

PRINCETON, Minn. (AP) — Two people died when a mobile home exploded in Minnesota early Tuesday in an explosion that could be heard for miles.

The explosion in Princeton prompted multiple 911 calls shortly after 4 a.m., Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Evenson said Minneapolis Star Tribune. The victims were Katherine A. Kreger, 61, and her husband Royce E. Kreger Jr., 60.

Owner Stuart Bryan told the newspaper that he had rented the house to the couple. Bryan said he’s owned the house for about 15 years and “never had a problem or a problem, and boom, it just blows up.”

A dog also died in the explosion, the sheriff’s office said, adding that the explosion could be heard from 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.

The cause is currently under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. He said officers who went to the scene saw a tank shooting propane into the air.

Princeton, a community of about 5,300 residents, is 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Minneapolis.