87-year-old woman killed in home explosion; construction crews ruptured gas line nearby

AVONDALE, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - The burnt sidings and windows of a home on Avondale Garden Road and 4th Street in Louisiana are all that remain after the house exploded Monday morning.

The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed that 87-year-old Deloris Gabriel died in her home and family members say five loved ones are in the hospital with injuries.

“I heard the explosion and I turned and my door was still open. I looked toward my cousin’s and her house had blown up. We couldn’t get her out,” cousin Adrienne Gabriel said.

The sheriff’s office did not give any updates on how Deloris Gabriel’s relatives are doing after the fire, but Adrienne Gabriel confirmed that the 87-year-old’s son, daughter, son-in-law, 4-year-old granddaughter and 7-year-old grandson were all injured in the incident.

“It’s difficult because I’m sure they heard the explosion, and to lose a family member in that, it’s a very difficult moment for us,” Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said.

Firefighters were originally called to the neighborhood around 5:15 a.m. after calls that a concrete truck ruptured a gas line near a construction site on Avondale Garden Road and U.S. Route 90.

Firefighters and Atmos Energy were on the scene trying to secure the leak when the sheriff’s office says Deloris Gabriel’s home burst into flames at around 6:30 a.m.

“It’s not common. It’s not common that we have a home explosion,” Jefferson Parish Fire Service Director Don Robertson said.

Robertson added that local investigators and the State Fire Marshal are looking into what sparked the explosion and how the house caught on fire.

In the meantime, he says the incident serves as a tragic reminder of what to do if and when you smell natural gas.

“If you smell natural gas, get out of your house and call 911 and get the professionals out here,” Robertson said.