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'They were beautiful children': Heartbroken mom of 2 children killed in Pottstown home explosion shares grief
Cathy McKee - whose son's Jeremiah, 12, and Nehemiah, 10, died in the blast - told FOX 29's Eddie Kadhim that every day has been harder than the last. "My children are not going to grow up, they are not going to a prom, to have children, they are never going to have that chance," McKee said.
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - As investigators continue to search for what caused a home explosion last week in Pottstown, family members of those killed are struggling to find closure.
Cathy McKee - whose son's Jeremiah, 12, and Nehemiah, 10, died in the blast - told FOX 29's Eddie Kadhim that every day has been harder than the last.
"People tell me it will get easier every day I wake up, and it gets harder," McKee said. "My children are not going to grow up, they are not going to a prom, to have children, they are never going to have that chance."
Emergency crews were called to the area of Hale Street and Butler Avenue around 8 p.m. last Thursday for reports of an explosion. Authorities arrived to find a home completely leveled and a massive debris field with damage to neighboring properties.
Jeremiah White, 12, Nehemiah White, 10, were both killed in the explosion along with three others. Credit: Cathy McKee
Pottstown Manager Justin Keller told reporters hours after the explosion that four people had died, and two people were taken to area hospitals. Officials increased the death toll to five during a Friday afternoon press briefing.
The victims were later identified as Francine White, 67, Alana Wood, 13, Jeremiah White, 12, Nehemiah White, 10, and 8-year-old Tristan White.
"Nehemiah and Jeremiah were full of life, they were beautiful children, they wanted to grow up," McKee said. "They had a journey, they explored everything, you can buy them a million toys in this whole world, and they would go out and find their own things to play with."
Alana's mother, Kristina, and the children's father Eugene White were injured in the blast and they are still being treated at an area hospital.
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An investigation into a Pottstown house explosion continues as victims identified
Pottstown officials say five people are dead, including four children, while two are injured, as an investigation into what caused a home to explode continues.
Officials have not discovered what might have caused the house to explode, but neighbors and former residents of the home hinted at that a gas leak could have been the possible cause.
Keller, in a Friday afternoon press conference, said investigators are "looking into" claims about the constant smell of gas in the area.
A former resident of the house said he lived there for 10-years and smelled gas often. He claims to have called the police about the odor several times, but the authorities didn't investigate the smell.
"The whole time, the 10-years we lived there, we could smell gas," said Ryan Nagel who last lived in the home in 2017. "We'd call police, they'd come out, not smell anything, and say it was fine."
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Pottstown house explosion leaves 5 dead, four victims between 8-13 years old
Five people, including four children, were killed in a house explosion Thursday night in Pottstown. The victims were later identified as Francine White, 67, Alana Wood, 13, Jeremiah White, 12, Nehemiah White, 10, and 8-year-old Tristan White. Authorities do not know what ignited the house explosion.
PECO, a Philadelphia-based energy company, said the property was not one of its natural gas customers.
"If you walked up to the corner or even if you were in your car you would smell gas it would be off and on," said Tanya Johnson, a neighbor who told FOX 29 that she heard and felt a massive boom that shook her Pottstown home Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the heartbroken family members have started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for funeral expense.