Man dies in gas explosion

A Northwestern Energy employee died when a house exploded in Columbia Falls Thursday afternoon.

The blast occurred about 3:50 p.m. at 1206 Second Ave. W. The gas company employee, whose name and age won’t be released until his family is notified, was investigating a reported gas leak about 20 feet away.

When the house exploded, a portion of the front wall hit the man. He died at the scene; according to Flathead County Sheriff’s Coroner Dave Leib, blunt-force trauma was the main cause of death.

Authorities have not said why the house blew up. The investigation is ongoing.

The homeowners, Teddy and Myrtle Langton, were not home at the time of the explosion. Investigators were not certain whether the couple had any pets.

For more of this story, see the print edition of Friday’s Inter Lake.