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House Explosion Victim Identified

KIDDER TOWNSHIP — Investigators were back on the scene of Monday’s deadly explosion that leveled a home in Carbon County. As the investigators were ...

KIDDER TOWNSHIP -- Investigators were back on the scene of Monday's deadly explosion that leveled a home in Carbon County.

As the investigators were piecing together what happened, a friend of the victims of this tragedy, stopped by.

"You always saw that they were helping somebody out or always working on somebody's home, always," said Kim Ginopolas of Lake Harmony.

Kidder Township Police say the two victims are from Albrightsville.

Bruce Barberio is recovering at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

But police say Melissa Barwis was killed in the explosion.

Ginopolas says the pair were caretakers of several properties in the area, including the house that exploded.

"They're always together, always together. They only had one car and they only had one cell phone because they were never separated," said Ginopolas.

Investigators say the explosion happened as a result of a damaged propane line in the crawl space area of the home.

The fire marshal says the fire was likely sparked by an electrical appliance in the home.

As the investigation continues, the healing process is starting a few miles away at Penn Kidder School.  It's where two of the couple's young children go to school.

Donations will be accepted during the school's annual Family Math Night Wednesday night, which is free and open to the public.

"We'll be having some donation desks and other opportunities to help out this family for their potential need," said Brian Gasper, Principal of Penn Kidder Campus.

The Family Math Night goes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Donations will be accepted there and at Mauch Chunk Trust Company Locations.

Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Company is collecting for a family fund.
You can make checks out to :

Barberio Family Fund, c/o Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 133, Albrightsville, PA  18210.

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