Two young children die in Missouri house explosion; two adults escape serious injury

DEFIANCE, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a house exploded in a rural area of eastern Missouri, killing two young children. Emergency responders were called just before 7:45 a.m. Friday to a home in Defiance, about 40 miles west of St. Louis. Two children, ages 4 and 6, were trapped in the house, but the intense flames prevented responders from getting to them. Authorities say two adults who lived in the home survived. One suffered a minor injury and was treated at the scene. The other wasn’t hurt. A St. Charles County police officer was treated for a minor injury. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, and authorities haven’t released the children’s names.