FRENCH TOWNSHIP, MN – A fatal explosion occurred in a get-together on Friday night in French Township, located approximately 20 miles north of Hibbing, leaving one man dead and seven others, including a 14-year-old girl, injured. Local law enforcement first became alerted to the unfortunate incident after receiving a report about three serious burn cases following an explosion.
As per the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified flammable liquid was added to the fire during holiday weekend festivities involving numerous friends and families, resulting in an immediate explosion. The blowback tragically claimed the life of a man and inflicted burn and inhalation injuries on seven others, whose ages ranged from 14 to 60 and above.
The casualty was later identified as 53-year-old Marvin Theisen from Hibbing. The explosion resulted in severe burns for a 14-year-old girl, who had to be urgently airlifted to a specialized-care hospital in the Twin Cities.
The remaining injured, whose injuries spanned from minor to serious, were transported to a local hospital using both an ambulance and private vehicle.
As of yet, the investigation led by the authorities of the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office is ongoing, with the specific flammable liquid causing the explosion still unknown. The conditions of the injured remain undisclosed.