SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A woman who was hurt in a Newman house explosion on Sunday has died.
Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said Shalonda Bailey, 51, passed away at Springfield Memorial Hospital at 8:11 p.m. on Monday. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
Members of the Bailey family said she was airlifted to Springfield after she suffered third-degree burns in the explosion. Her home, located at 306 Broadway Street in Newman, was completely destroyed by the blast and damaged at least one nearby home. Neighbors who rushed to the scene said they could hear Bailey calling for help as she was buried in the wreckage.
The State Fire Marshal is assisting in the investigation of the explosion. Newman Fire Protection District Chief Wade Hales said natural gas appeared to be the likely cause, and Bailey herself told a neighbor that she had been turning on the stove when it exploded.
The Corn Crib, a restaurant one of Bailey’s neighbors works at, is collecting donations of clothing, money and other supplies for people whose homes were affected by the explosion.
