PIQUA — A 55-year-old man is recovering after a home exploded in Piqua on Tuesday.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, family members said Brian Markin was working on the furnace inside a house in the 1100 block of Covington Avenue when the explosion happened.
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Officials have not confirmed the cause of the explosion, but Piqua Fire Department Chief Lee Adams said natural gas was present within the debris.
A spokesperson for the Miami Valley Hospital told News Center 7 that Markin is listed in critical condition.
News Center 7’s Mike Campbell spoke with Brian’s daughter, Jocelyn Markin.
“So instantly, you know, that panic set in and I was like, my gosh, what do I do?” Markin said.
She said her father has lived in this home for eight years.
Campbell asked how she first heard of the explosion.
“I seen that cop in the corner, so I did just ask him what was going on. And that’s how I figured it out. It had just happened that nobody had the opportunity to call me,” she said.
Markin visited her father at the hospital on Wednesday.
“He’s got, um, burns to his head, like mostly on the right side of his head. It was actually hit by the ceiling falling down. I think is what they’re saying,” she said.
The power and force of the explosion leveled Brian’s house.
“It’s just devastating because, like I said, my grandma owned it. So, I have such fond memories of that house,” Markin said.
As previously reported by News Center 7, Julio Deleom ran into the burning house and pulled Brian out.
“I would just tell him thank you so much for saving my dad. I mean, if it wasn’t for him, he probably would not be here right now,” Markin said.
She added that doctors are still working to stabilize her father, and long-term treatment plans will come later.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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