Houston couple heartbroken after house nearly paid off explodes
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston couple is speaking out after an explosion ripped apart their home in downtown Houston Friday afternoon.
Maria Guzman and Dolores Garcia say they are grateful for another day on earth after their home of nearly 30 years suddenly exploded.
The couple lost everything in less than a minute.
"Thank God we still have our lives. Thank God," Guzman said.
Garcia says he could have been inside the building when it blew up last Friday. Luckily, he was out working.
"Hopefully, we can build. The most important thing is nothing happened to us," Garcia said.
Houston firefighters suspect that a natural gas leak caused the house to explode, but Garcia is not convinced that a leak is to blame.
He told Eyewitness News that he and Maria left the house, like any other day, and did not smell anything strange.
Experts say in older homes, especially, pipes can become stressed and even break without anyone realizing it. They suggest homeowners have a professional perform a gas line pressure test every five years.
The husband and wife say they were just a few years away from paying off their property.
If you would like to help the family with expenses to rebuild their home and replace their possessions, you can donate on their GoFundMe page.
