A propane explosion ripped though Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Marion, South Dakota, just before Sunday mass April 10, 1949, killing six people and injuring about 50 others.
The Daily Republic of Mitchell, South Dakota, reported: "The blast sent the floor ceiling-ward, pushed out the thick tile and brick walls and let the heavy roof tumble to the floor."
Authorities attributed the blast to "a gas leak in an almost new propane gas furnace and an arcing spark from an electrical connection," the newspaper said.
A parish member driving to the church said: "I saw a big puff of what looked like steam. The roof seemed to lift a little. Then when I looked again it wasn't there."
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