House explosion kills two near Mandan

A house explosion in Mandan early Wednesday morning has left two dead.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier says the investigation isn't complete, but at this time the cause appears to be an accidental propane-related explosion at the home.

Authorities were called to the area north of Mandan shortly after midnight. When officers arrived there was no fire, but the home was destroyed.

There were three people inside at the time. A woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and a man and young woman were transported to a Bismarck hospital.

"This explosion, it was pretty violent. So there was definitely a big build up of gas in the house, and we're just trying to determine what the ignition source was. It definitely was a violent explosion," says Kirchmeier.

The man later died at the hospital, and Kirchmeier says the young woman is still in the hospital.

There's a GoFundMe page for the young woman involved in this tragedy has already raised thousands of dollars.

Two people are dead after a house explosion early Wednesday morning near Mandan.

The blast occurred at about 12:15 a.m. on Highway 1806 just north of the city.

An neighbor called 911 to report the explosion and told police they felt their house shake.

When emergency crews arrived they found the house destroyed but no fire.

Investigators say a woman and man were killed and another woman was taken to the hospital. Police have not yet released their names.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation by the Morton County Sheriff’s Department and the North Dakota Fire Marshall’s office.