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Report Explores Cause Of Furniture Store Explosion

WAYNE (WWJ) - Consumers Energy has released a report on the cause of a furniture store explosion in Wayne last December that killed two people.

Consumers spokesperson Debra Dodd told WWJ Newsradio 950 they've narrowed the blast at Frank's Furniture down to one of three possible causes.

"One was that there was a broken gas line about 230 feet from Frank's furniture store, although we couldn't verify that because we don't know if the damage to the pipe occured before or after the explosion or as a result of the explosion," Dodd said.

The other theories are that gas migrated into the sewer system from a gas main break, or that there was a gas leak inside Frank's. A Consumers' employee was searching for the source of a gas smell when the blast occurred.

The bodies of a salesman and clerical worker were pulled from what was left of the store on Wayne Road north of Michigan Avenue. In addition, two people were injured in the blast. (Catch up on this story here).

Consumers reached a settlement with the victims' families.

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