A man identified as Leland Holden, 68, has passed away after an explosion destroyed his home in Lafayette, Wisconsin. The incident, which occurred about 45 miles southwest of Milwaukee, resulted in Holden being found in the basement by first responders. Despite being flown to a trauma center, he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities were alerted to the explosion through 911 calls around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. When deputies arrived about 15 minutes later, they discovered the house to be completely demolished.
Elkhorn Area Fire Chief Trent Eichmann mentioned that it took over 30 minutes for responders to locate Holden, who was trapped under debris in the basement. Eichmann described the scene as showing most of the house collapsing to one side of the basement during the explosion, where Holden was subsequently found. An investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing, with a mention that propane gas is commonly used in the area where the incident occurred.
