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| Astrid Marmont with her husband |
(Scroll down for video) A woman is dead and her husband was seriously injured after a propane torch exploded while she was enjoying herself at a family cookout, according to emergency workers in California.
Emergency workers responding to the scene said that a 41-year-old Fillmore woman has died from injuries sustained when a hand-held propane torch exploded in a backyard cookout during the weekend.
Authorities said Astrid Marmont was killed and her 38-year-old husband suffered serious injuries after the gas tank exploded and sent shrapnel flying all over.
Rick Nance was one of the many neighbors who went to the house after hearing cries for help.
"I was doing what I could for her, but there was not much to do, you know?" He said. "This situation, I've never heard of it. Hope I never see or hear something like this again," he said.
The Fillmore Fire Department chief, who responded to the scene, explained what happened.
"They lit the charcoal barbecue with the device. It was then placed on the side of the grill, right on the shelf. The container was heated by radiant heat from the actual grill itself. The tank exploded," the fire chief said.
“The gas inside the propane tank expanded and ultimately caused the explosion,” he said.
He said people should read the instructions on the package to avoid a similar event.