One Dead, Two Injured In Thornton Street Explosion

WATER VALLEY – One person was killed and two others were injured Monday night following a house explosion and fire on Thornton Street that was felt across much of Water Valley.

Emergency responders were dispatched shortly after 8:25 p.m. and arrived to find the residence fully engulfed in flames.

Water Valley Fire Chief Mark McGavock said firefighters encountered a fire being fueled by an active gas leak and were unable to gain control of the blaze until the gas supply was shut off.

“There was no way this fire was going out unless we got the gas shut off,” McGavock said.

Yalobusha County Coroner Ronnie Stark said the deceased victim will be transported to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office in Jackson for an autopsy. Stark said formal identification is pending DNA analysis, although investigators have a preliminary understanding of the victim’s identity based on information gathered at the scene.

Preliminary information indicates four people were inside the residence at the time of the explosion. One person died, one victim was flown to a Memphis burn center with severe injuries and another was transported to a hospital in Oxford for treatment. A fourth occupant was treated at the scene.

Responding agencies included the Water Valley Fire Department, Water Valley Police Department, Water Valley Utility Commission, Delta Utilities, Velma Volunteer Fire Department, O’Tuckolofa Volunteer Fire Department, Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department and the Yalobusha County Coroner’s Office.

The explosion was reportedly felt throughout the city. Water Valley Utility Commission officials reported a system-wide electrical surge occurred when electrical lines came into contact during the blast.

Firefighters returned to the scene Tuesday morning to extinguish hot spots as investigators continued working to determine the cause of the explosion.

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.