OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A couple whose Omaha house was destroyed by an explosion next door are suing the Metropolitan Utilities District.

The lawsuit by John and Jamie Myers says the district should have done more to prevent the July 25, 2016, blast. It killed Clara Bender-Rinehart, who was inspecting the house when the explosion occurred, destroying it, the Myers’ home and another and damaging several others.

District spokeswoman Jessica Heidebrecht says district officials don’t believe the district is responsible “for the events in question.”

Authorities say a gas line to a clothes dryer was not shut off when the dryer was disconnected and removed by an evicted tenant. The gas escaped into the house for two days before Bender-Rinehart arrived for an inspection.
It’s unclear what sparked the explosion.