Woman killed in Omaha house explosion was inspector checking the property
OMAHA, Neb. -- A woman who was killed when a house exploded in Omaha was a property inspector sent to check the home after a tenant was evicted, authorities said Tuesday.
Clara Bender, 30, was fatally injured in the blast just after noon Monday in Omaha's Benson neighborhood. The explosion leveled the home, badly damaged four adjacent homes, and injured a woman who lived next door and a 14-year-old boy. Bender died after being taken to Nebraska Medical Center, authorities said.
It's unclear whether the evicted tenant has been questioned or whether the explosion was being criminally investigated. Omaha police declined to answer those questions Tuesday, saying only that they were investigating all leads. Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Tim McCaw asked that anyone with information about the blast contact the city's arson hotline.
Officials investigate a house explosion near Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday, July 25, 2016.
CBS affiliate KMTV
"There's a lot of stuff that could have happened," said Jeremy Aspen, president of Certified Property Management. "Foul play is a possibility. But just as possible is that there was a gas leak or somebody removed a stove or bumped it on accident or any number of things."
Officials also haven't released the conditions or details about the 46-year-old neighbor and the teenage boy who were taken to hospitals following the blast. The Omaha World-Herald reported Tuesday that the woman was treated and released from a hospital.
Bender, who worked for Certified Property Management, was at the home to check on its condition after allowing a tenant who was evicted this month to enter the property over the weekend to collect personal items, Aspen said.
"We loved Clara," he said. "She was just the sweetest person ... and the hardest worker."
Bender had worked for the company since November, and was married with a young child, Aspen said. He said her husband also works for Certified Property Management.
An old neighbor who used to babysit for Bender's son Dominic said when she heard the news of Bender's death she broke down, CBS affiliate KMTV reported.
"I am still not holding up too well, I feel so bad for Dominic, I don't know what I can do for him," said Louise Vacanti.
Aspen said his company has turned over all its documents regarding the property and any contact with the former tenant to police. He said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that police have been in touch with him about this investigation, but asked him not to share that information with reporters.
Aspen also noted that several of Bender's family members were in the process of traveling from Mississippi to Omaha. The company noted that a GoFundMe page set up to benefit Bender's family had raised nearly $12,000 by mid-afternoon Tuesday.
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Officials: 1 dead, 2 injured in house explosion in Omaha
Officials investigate a house explosion near Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday, July 25, 2016.
CBS affiliate KMTV
Last Updated Jul 25, 2016 11:11 PM EDT
OMAHA, Nebraska -- One person died and at least two others were injured when an explosion leveled a house in Omaha.
Fire crews responded to a report of a house explosion in Benson, Nebraska on Monday afternoon, CBS affiliate KMTV reported.
The explosion occurred around 12:20 p.m.
Fire Battalion Chief Tim McCaw says paramedics took two women to an Omaha hospital, and fire officials say one later died. A 14-year-old boy was seriously hurt and taken to the hospital privately.
Authorities didn't release the names of those hurt and injured.
Nearby homes were moved off their foundations, and McCaw says the damaged home was reduced to its foundation.
Neighbors told KMTV that they heard a loud boom and one mentioned they were woken up by it.
Viewers posted on KMTV's Facebook page saying that they heard it in other parts of Omaha.
The cause of the explosion is currently unclear, and is under investigation. Metropolitan Utilities District officials shut off the natural gas to the house, KMTV reported.
M.U.D. technicians surveyed the area and verified no natural gas leaks and that the natural gas facilities are safe, officials told KMTV.
M.U.D. officials say they are cooperating with the investigation. © 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report