Deputies: Man killed in tank explosion near Cassopolis

Anna Skog
·1 min read

CALVIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A man was killed in an explosion near the state line Monday night, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 3:50 p.m., the Penn Township Fire Department responded to a report of an explosion at a petroleum pumping station on Bulhand Road near Calvin Hill Street in Calvin Township. Nearby residents said they heard a loud explosion and their homes shook.

Two men had been working on a tank when it exploded and caused a fire, deputies said. Charles Lawrence, 71, of Lakefort, was killed. A 38-year-old man from Osceola, Indiana, had minor injuries.

It is unclear exactly what caused the explosion but Michigan State Police Fire Marshal and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy are investigating.

Courtesy Cass County Sheriff's Office. (Feb. 5, 2024)
Courtesy Cass County Sheriff’s Office. (Feb. 5, 2024)
Courtesy Cass County Sheriff's Office. (Feb. 5, 2024)
Courtesy Cass County Sheriff’s Office. (Feb. 5, 2024)
Courtesy Cass County Sheriff's Office. (Feb. 5, 2024)
Courtesy Cass County Sheriff’s Office. (Feb. 5, 2024)

The pumping station is owned by Trak Oil of Port Huron, Michigan, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

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