Two young children die in Missouri house explosion; two adults escape serious injury

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 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 children’s names.