U.S. safety board investigates deadly Illinois gas explosion; one dead

[November 18, 2016]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it is investigating a natural gas pipeline explosion that killed one and injured 11 in Canton, Illinois.

The explosion occurred at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday near the main square in the town of 15,000 people in central Illinois, local officials said. Several buildings were damaged and a two-block area was evacuated.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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