An explosion Wednesday destroyed one house and damaged at least one other, blowing out windows and knocking out power throughout the neighborhood.
Two people people were killed in the explosion, one person was in critical condition, and another had minor injuries, Police Chief Dave Haley told NBC News.
The blast was reported about 7:30 a.m. in this 5,800-resident community about 60 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Natural gas was the suspected cause of the blast, but had not been confirmed, according to the police chief.
Mayor Robert Schwab told the Associated Press he had no immediate word on what caused the blast.
Aerial footage on St. Louis television stations showed the scene smoldering, with debris scattered throughout the scene. A pickup truck was charred.