LEXINGTON, Mo. — Residents in Lexington, Mo., tell KSHB 41 they are dealing with grief and frustration after an explosion and fire Wednesday night killed a child and injured his father and sister.
“It just seemed like it was just too little, too late, and so we end up having this massive tragedy," said Sarah Rodriguez, a longtime Lexington resident. "And I just don't believe it should have happened."
The explosion, followed by fires, occurred at about 7:45 p.m at 19th Street and Franklin Avenue.
The blast killed five-year-old Alistair Lamb and critically injured his father, Jacob Cunningham and his sister, Cami Lamb, 10.
A fiber optic company working in the area hit a gas line about three hours before the explosion.
Rodriguez told KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig Thursday she saw crews working in the neighborhood on Wednesday.
"I saw a Liberty (gas) truck over there, so I figured, you know, maybe it'll all be taken care of," she said. "I don't need to get a hold of anybody cause I smell gas.”
She said she woke up Thursday morning "just really anxious and still kind of jittery after what happened."
“People could have been warned or evacuated," Rodriguez said. "Like I said, I came home at 5:30 in the afternoon and smelled gas when I got out of my car.”
Shelly Harden who lives in Lexington and is an HCC Network Community Health worker, was in the area where the explosion and fires happened.
“The whole house shook," Harden said. "I mean, it sounded like a bomb went off right in front of my house.”
HCC is a health clinic in Lexington offering support to people affected by the tragedy.
“If they need help recovering documents that were lost, or if they need hygiene items, or food or clothes to get them through the next few days, that's why we're here," Megan Romer with the HCC Network Community Health, said.
Residents said the town is close-knit and everyone knows everyone.
“We're just going to have to be there for the family and help them grieve and help them get back on their feet," Rodriguez said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the deadly incident.
KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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