As officials investigate, homeowner picks up pieces after explosion

SOUTH BEND — An Elderly man returned to his ravaged home to sift through rubble to retrieve pictures and priceless possession that were not destroyed by the explosion. For the first time, Charlie Ehninger was allowed to return home. To see the damage following an explosion that rocked his world to the core. Armed with garbage bags, friends help Ehninger carry the few pictures and possessions that were not damaged. While Ehninger is a survivor, people who know him best weren't sure how much his heart could take. See, Ehninger recently returned home from the hospital one week ago. "I had a heart attack," he said. "But I didn't have a heart attack when the house blew up." And the old saying ' what doesn't kill you makes you stronger,' is never truer. As he works to move forward, officials go over legalities, friends offer support and firefighters investigate. "We know there was a gas leak," said Chief Federico Rodriguez of the South Bend Fire Department. "But the puzzle we are trying to solve is how did it end up from point A to point B." As investigators sift through debris, they know AEP contracted an ASPLUNDH construction crew to drill underground — yards away from the explosion when the line was struck. Sandpiper Cove residents reported a strong gas smell Tuesday just before noon. "When you know there's a gas leak and you smell it and see it and they do not shut it off, it's concerning to me," said resident Kris Anderson. As crews work to connect the dots, the next task is determining who is responsible. "That's what the whole investigation is taking place for," said Mike Charbonneau of NIPSCO. "To answer some of those questions that we don't have the answers for at this time." Until those questions are revealed, Ehninger looks forward to thanking the woman who helped him out of his home, and moving forward. "I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it," he said.