Investigation into deadly Royal Oak blast begins

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) - Investigators are on the scene of Wednesday's deadly blast that destroyed one Royal Oak home and damaged almost three dozen others.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE BLAST SITE

UPDATE: Consumers Energy says there was a leak in a gas line leading to the home that exploded.

Spokesperson Debra Dodd told 7 Action News the line was likely damaged when the new gas main was being installed along the street. Dodd says the installation of the gas main was part of a routine civic improvement project.

Consumers Energy says their investigators will be collecting evidence today, including sections of the pipe, the gas meter and any gas appliances. As part of the collection effort, investigators will mark the location that any evidence is found, before packaging it up and sending it off to the lab for analysis.

The blocks around the blast are closed to traffic, so residents, investigators, and repair crews can work.

The explosion happened just after 5:00 pm on Wednesday , blowing the Cooper Avenue home to pieces and sending debris flying. On Thursday morning some debris could still be seen hanging from nearby trees.

Fifty-eight-year-old Daniel Richard Malczynski and a cat died in the explosion.

Thirty-five other homes were damaged. Their owners either spent the night with relatives or in nearby hotels.

"We have no power, we have several windows missing,  no heat," said Adam Roose. "I don't know I would like to hear an explanation as to what happened."

Several businesses were also damaged in the blast .