Authorities have recovered the body of a Southern California Gas Co. worker killed in an explosion and fire that destroyed a house and damaged others in the city of Murrieta.
Deputy Fire Chief David Lantzer says the utility worker’s body was removed Monday night, hours after the blast that also injured 15 other people.
Lantzer says work on repopulating the neighborhood continues Tuesday.
Four homes have been red-tagged, meaning they can’t be occupied. One home is yellow-tagged, which limits entry, and several other houses are being evaluated.
Authorities say a solar contractor punctured a gas service line and firefighters and SoCal Gas workers responded.
SoCal Gas spokesman Randon Lane says there’s no record the contractor made a required call to have gas lines marked.
The contractor’s identity hasn’t been released.
