Ogunquit, ME – An explosion rocked a restaurant at 414 Main St. in Ogunquit on Tuesday morning, police said.
One of the victims is in critical condition.
According to the fire chief and the state fire marshal, propane ignited inside the restaurant as two employees were lighting a stove. Ogunquit’s fire chief said a worker was unfamiliar with the gas control valves and left one of them open, letting the propane build up inside.
The explosion has been ruled “accidental human error.”
Both of the employees were injured in the explosion. Christopher Graham, 50, of Wells suffered burns to his legs and was eventually air lifted to Maine Medical Center, where he was last listed in critical condition. Graham is also suffering from respiratory issues, according to investigators.
The other employee, Allison Soucier, 44, also of Wells, was burned on her legs and was treated and released at Maine Medical Center.
Oqunquit Explosion The explosion shattered the windows, sending shards of glass flying onto the patio and into the streets. No customers were at the restaurant at the time, which O’Brien said is fortunate.
“They were just opening for the day so it could have been potentially worse with folks sitting outside in this patio area. There was a lot of glass thrown around,” he said.