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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT TRAGEDY

GAS EXPLOSION DESTROYS FAMILY DINER; OWNER’S WIFE PERISHES IN FIRE

One person was killed and three more were injured in an explosion and resulting fire that levelled local family diner, Gracewell’s, in Cedar Hill on Sunday night.

Celine Gracewell, wife of owner Michael Gracewell, was present at the time of the explosion, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her daughter, along with two of her friends, was also inside the restaurant. It is reported that Gracewell’s daughter attempted to go back into the fire to rescue her mother, but was unable to.

Preliminary investigations suggest a gas leak was to blame for the destruction, setting off a fire which spread rapidly through the rest of the building. Police have yet to determine an official cause for the explosion, and investigations are ongoing. They are also looking to talk to Jack Gracewell, acting manager of the diner, who has been not been contactable since the incident.

Located on the corner of Foster and Oak in downtown Cedar Hill, Gracewell’s has been a favourite family establishment for over fifteen years.

Celine Gracewell, 43, a local dressmaker and part-owner of the establishment, was standing close to the gas leak at the time of the blast, and lost her life on impact, it has been reported. Since the explosion, neighbours and friends have been leaving tributes at the site. As city workers and electric utility experts tore through the rubble this morning, many gathered in the street to pay their respects.

Ursula Nguyen, assistant manager at the diner for ten years, was inconsolable as she laid her wreath among the others. Of Celine Gracewell, she said, ‘She was a wonderful person. Always smiling, always happy. It’s such a loss for the whole neighborhood. I’m devastated for her daughter.’

Rita Bailey, long-time resident of Cedar Hill, was visibly stunned as she visited the site to see the destruction, commenting, ‘I’m reeling. How could anyone have seen this coming? This is such a tragic thing to happen.’

Details of Celine Gracewell’s memorial service have not been released. It is not known whether the diner will be rebuilt.