Woman Killed in Southern Minnesota House Explosion

LE CENTER, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say a 20-year-old woman who was house-sitting in southern Minnesota Saturday night died when the home exploded.

Emergency crews responded about 11:30 p.m. to a report of an explosion and fire at a home a few miles northeast of Le Center, in Lexington Township. The house had collapsed and was burning when authorities arrived.

Investigators learned that the owner of the home and his family were out of town but the woman was staying there to take care of the home and the dogs. Her body was found in the basement and taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

Le Center is about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) southwest of Minneapolis.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

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