ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The National Transportation Safety Board, which has jurisdiction over pipelines, is investigating a natural gas explosion at a home in Bel Air, Maryland, that killed two people, the agency said Monday.
Meanwhile, state officials have identified the two people who died, and the state fire marshal's office said they are focusing on accidental causes because there is no evidence of criminal activity.
Ray Corkran Jr., the 73-year-old homeowner, died in the Sunday morning explosion, officials said. Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, a 35-year-old contracted utility employee with Baltimore Gas and Electric, also died, the state fire marshal's office said.
Jennifer Gabris, an NTSB spokesperson, confirmed that NTSB pipeline investigators were on the scene Monday in Bel Air, a town about about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore.
Deputy state fire marshals and agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have concluded their on-scene investigation and turned the scene over to insurance representatives, the fire marshal's office said.
''Crews have already begun cleaning up the copious debris strewn throughout the neighborhood, and restoration companies are beginning to make repairs to nearby homes,'' the fire marshal's office said in a news release Monday.
Investigators will now focus on reviewing the evidence and data they collected on Sunday, the fire marshal's office said. That includes gas and electrical piping, interviews, video surveillance and data from BGE.
''While the explosion remains under investigation, there is no evidence of criminal activity, and they will continue to focus on accidental causes,'' the fire marshal's office said.
