Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

SOMERSET, Mass. -- After spending last night at his son's house in Lakeville, Mass., George Surdis of 50 New York Ave., returned home this afternoon to get some of his belongings and was concerned about the condition of his house.

"It's a wreck," he said.

Surdis said about an hour before the explosion, an emergency crew had come to his door looking for the source of the gas leak. "As soon as I opened the door, I could smell it," he said.

"They left. I forgot all about it." He was eating dinner when the explosion occurred and everything blew off the walls, he said.

Surdis was supposed to be at work at First Acura of Seekonk but took the day off, he said.

The media today have taken over Billy DeSousa's yard at 290 Connecticut Ave., about half a block from Rebello's house.

DeSousa, a sales representative for PVS Chemicals, works at home. He said around 3 p.m. yesterday he saw a fire truck and a New England Gas Co. vehicle parked outside Rosemarie Rebello's house at 93 New York Ave.

He didn't think much of it at the time; he said and he couldn't smell any gas. He went to a gym and by the time he returned home, Rebello's house had exploded and the utilities had been turned off.

He was told to leave his house and was displaced overnight.

This morning, he checked in with the command center. The utilities had been restored at his house and he is back home.

DeSousa said he knew Rebello from seeing her around the neighborhood, walking her small dog. "She was one of the nicest ladies you'll ever meet," he said.

-- with reports from Maria Armental, Journal staff writer

Comments

ron cabral said:

my god why didnt thegas co. turn the gas off,they had plenty of time 1 hr they will have to live with that ,a women and amimal died.

Link | February 21, 2009 6:40 AM
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