KANE –– A Corry man was seriously injured in a camp explosion that occurred Thursday afternoon in Hamlin Township, McKean County.
Kane-based state police say that an explosion destroyed a two-story wood-frame home at 1295 Kushequa Ave. at 1:35 p.m., causing the structure to be blown off its foundation and partially collapse.
The victim, camp owner Kenneth S. Bernhard, 68, pulled himself from the rubble, and he was flown to Erie County Medical Center of Buffalo, N.Y. He suffered burns, but state police fire marshal Cpl. Greg Agosti was not sure if he had other injuries.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, Agosti said. The incident was initially reported over the scanner as a hot water tank explosion. The camp was connected to propane –– but “I’m not blaming propane. That is part of the investigation,” Agosti said.
The damage from the explosion is estimated at $1 million, according to police.
Mount Jewett Fire Department and the Mount Jewett Area Ambulance responded to the scene. Emergency responders were on scene for about an hour and a half, Agosti said.
