Plum House Explosion: Victim who survived initial blast made phone call for help

PLUM, Pa. — Channel 11 has learned that at least one of the six victims who died in a house explosion in Plum over the weekend survived the initial blast and made a call for help in his final moments.

According to several Channel 11 sources Casey Clontz, 38, and his son Keegan, 12, along with Kevin Sebunia, 55, and Michael Thomas, 57, were all inside the basement of the Plum home that exploded.

• LATEST UPDATES: 6 people dead, including child, after massive explosion in Plum
• PHOTOS: House leveled in explosion in Plum Borough; several other homes damaged

Heather Oravitz, 51, was upstairs. Her husband, Paul, 56, later died at the hospital from his injuries.

It’s unclear if anyone else was alive at that point.

Three homes were leveled and several others will have to move out of their homes for extensive repair work.

The question still remains: what caused that big of an explosion?

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal has confirmed that the house that exploded had hot water tank issues.

According to sources, the victims were in the basement working on the tank — but it’s unclear what went wrong.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for victims: Victims of Plum Home Explosion.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group