House explodes in rural eastern Missouri; two children killed

DEFIANCE, Mo. (AP) — A house exploded in a rural area of eastern Missouri on Friday, killing two children, authorities said.

Emergency responders were called just before 7:45 a.m. to a home in Defiance, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of St. Louis.

Two children, boys ages 4 and 6, were trapped in the house, but the intense flames prevented responders from getting to them.

Two adults who lived in the home survived, authorities said. One suffered a minor injury and was treated at the scene. The other wasn’t hurt.

A St. Charles County police officer also was treated for a minor injury.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation, and authorities haven’t released the names of the children.

The home was destroyed. A GoFundMe was set up for the family, and about $28,000 had been raised by Friday afternoon.