Church Explosion south of La Grange injures one, possibly caused by gas leak

HOSTYN, Texas (KBTX) - An elderly woman was life-flighted to Dell-Seton hospital in Austin with severe burns after an explosion rocked the Queen of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hostyn, Texas, just south of La Grange.

Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek said in a press release Thursday that Fayette County Dispatchers received a 911 call reporting an explosion at the church. Deputies responded and found the woman with burns and immediately transported her to Austin.

Randy Noviski, the chief deputy, said they are not releasing her identity yet.

“She had just got here this morning and she was fixing to light the candles for the morning mass. And the explosion, my understanding, is when she was going to light the candles in the adoration chapel, the explosion occurred. Father got in there and got her out with another parishioner,” Noviski said.

Sheriff Korenek said the explosion appears to have been caused by a gas leak, though the department will investigate to rule out any criminal activity.

Several Fire Departments including, LaGrange, Schulenburg, Muldoon, and Fayetteville Fire Departments responded to the blaze.

“There’s not one department in this county that is able to handle a fire of this size we rely on what’s called mutual aid and we help our neighbors out,” Craig Moreau, Emergency Management Chief for Fayette County.

“Actually during this fire, two other major incidents came on and mutual aid was used for those as well. There was an ATV accident and another house fire. Units left from here, from other places, help each other out that’s the nature of how things happen in a very large rural county with fairly limited coverage from responders.”

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