WINNIPEG -- Brandon police confirmed Monday the man charged with second-degree murder in connection with a house explosion on Tuesday, Oct. 22 was married to the woman found dead in the rubble of the home.
During a news conference on Monday, police said as Betty Hughes, 63, was found dead inside what was left of the home several hours after the house exploded last week.
Authorities said emergency responders had to wait several hours after the blast before going inside, due to safety reasons. Police said the building was unstable following the explosion and an urban search and rescue team was called in.
Police said Monday investigators believe the woman's death wasn't caused by the explosion, but by injuries sustained before it happened.
The victim's husband, Robert Hughes, 63, had already managed to get out of the house on his own, police said, escaping within an hour of the explosion, after Manitoba Hydro employees arrived to turn off gas.
The smell of gas was strong in the air immediately following the explosion, police said.
The husband was initially airlifted to hospital in Winnipeg in critical condition, later upgraded to stable.
He was arrested after being discharged from Health Sciences Centre and has since been charged with second-degree murder.
The explosion caused a large disruption to the area. Nearby homes had to be evacuated for a time.
The day after the explosion, a neighbour who was outside working on his truck at the time of the blast told CTV News he felt it before hearing anything.
“I felt, felt a blast, but I didn’t hear anything,” said Stephen Taillieu. “And then a second or so later I heard a bit of a blast.”
