Man dies after chemical explosion near Boonville

ABC 17 News confirmed a man died Monday evening after a chemical explosion over the weekend inside a home on Speed Drive south of Boonville.

Cooper County Sheriff Jerry Wolfe identified the victim as 60-year-old Earl Fredrich.

He was flown to University Hospital Saturday night with serious to his face. Emergency crews said a homemade explosive device used for target practice exploded, after the plastic cap blew off as it was being moved.

Local investigators do not believe it involved anything criminal, but was simply an accident.