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4 dead, 2 injured in home explosion outside Detroit

Authorities were exploring the possibility that some type of gas may have fueled the blast, which sent debris across a roadway, police said.
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Four people were killed and two others were injured when an explosion Saturday obliterated a home in Northfield Township, Michigan, police said.

Lt. David Powell of Northfield Township police said three people were dead at the scene and three survivors were rushed to medical facilities in unknown condition Saturday afternoon. One of those survivors later died, police said.

More information about the victims, including their ages and relationship to each other, was still being determined, Powell said during an evening news conference.

The single-family home, which was fairly isolated and on a dead-end road, was destroyed save for its basement, according to police and reporting from NBC affiliate WDIV of Detroit.

Damage was not reported at other locations, Powell said.

Debris from the blast, which was reported at 3:20 p.m., was found at a residence on the other side of a roadway, he said.

Asked about the cause, Powell said, "We don't know, maybe some type of gas explosion."

He said he believes the homes in the area are not connected to utility gas lines and rely on propane tanks for fuel.

Electricity to the area was cut off as a precaution, and portable lighting was being brought in so investigators, including a medical examiner, could work through the night, Powell said.

Northfield Township is about 50 miles west of Detroit.