The rubble of what’s left of a home in the 200 block of Queens Avenue East in Brandon following an explosion on Tuesday. (EBRANDON.CA)
Flowers appear on the fence outside of a home where a woman was killed in Brandon on Tuesday evening. (EBRANDON.CA)
The death of 63-year-old Betty Hughes in a house explosion in Brandon on Tuesday is now being investigated as a murder.
Brandon police and the Office of the Fire Commissioner have been investigating the circumstances surrounding the explosion in the 200 block of Queens Avenue East in the city’s Green Acres neighbourhood. Police said on Saturday they have determined that the death of the woman was not accidental and the explosion was intentionally set. Injuries to the victim determined she was deceased prior to the explosion.
Emergency crews detected a strong odour of natural gas as they arrived on scene. Manitoba Hydro turned off the gas within the hour.
A 63-year-old man, Robert Hughes, was injured in the blast and flown to Winnipeg by STARS air ambulance. After recovering and preparing to leave the Health Sciences Centre on Friday, police arrested him on the charge of second-degree murder.
The man was transferred back to Brandon and is being held in custody. He appeared in front of a judge on Saturday.
Updated on Monday, October 28.
