MORAN — A resident was injured this afternoon when an explosion destroyed his house.
Max Houk, 62, was at home when the explosion blew away the front walls to his home about six miles north and one mile west of Moran, or two miles south and one mile west of Mildred. A pair of passing motorists saw the smoke and helped free Houk, who was trapped in the rubble.
“Without a doubt, they saved his life,” a deputy at the scene said.
Houk was flown from the scene via helicopter to a hospital in Overland Park.
One of the men who helped free Houk was later taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, the deputy said.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Emergency crews from Allen County, LaHarpe and Moran were called to the scene.
Several friends and neighbors also assisted in cleaning up debris.
