Feb. 1, 2007
 
Explosion in Little General Convenience Store Kills 4 in Ghent; Propane Gas Leak Blamed
 
By William Paine
BNN Contributing Writer
 
Ghent, WV (BNN) -- Just before 11 o’clock Tuesday morning, Jan. 30, 2007 an explosion at the Little General convenience store near Winter Place resulted in the deaths of 4 individuals.
 
At 10:43 a.m., the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call about a gas leak at the Little General Store. Shortly after firefighters arrived, an explosion, likely resulting from a propane gas leak, killed a volunteer firefighter, an emergency medical services worker and a building inspector along with one other person.
 
West Virginia State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis describes the scene:
 
“The best way to describe that for you is to imagine putting off an explosion in your home and when you walked up to see your home, the only thing you have left is toothpicks”
 
Five people were seriously injured in the blast and remain hospitalized. Two of the injured were transported to the Charleston Area Medical Center.
 
The Little General service station was completely destroyed in the blast which covered an area 100 yards in diameter. Despite that, the West Virginia state Fire Marshal said the blast could have been much worse as neither of the two 500 pound propane tanks on site exploded.
 
At least 40 emergency personnel remained on scene throughout the night to make sure no vestiges of the volatile gas remained. The search continues for potential victims of the explosion who may have been hurled well away from the source of the blast. Some windows at the neighboring elementary school, which is nearly ˝ mile away, shattered as a result of the explosion.
 
At this time, authorities believe the explosion resulted from a propane gas leak.
 
Several local, state and Federal agencies were on scene assisting with the disaster’s aftermath, among them: the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department, the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, the City of Beckley, the State Fire Marshal’s office, the Raleigh County Sheriffs Department, West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia office of Emergency Services along with the regional response teams including Best, General, JanCare, Ghent Ambulance services.
 
The West Virginia Fire Marshal is conducting the investigation with the help of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.
 
Raleigh County Sheriff Danny Moore vowed to arrest any unauthorized individuals found at the scene of Tuesday’s explosion.