OGUNQUIT — Investigators say a propane explosion at a restaurant sent two people to area hospitals for treatment Tuesday morning.

The explosion happened at 11 a.m. at the Captain’s Catch on Route 1. Two employees, a man and a woman, who were getting ready to open the restaurant for the day were burned by the blast, which did not ignite a fire.

Allison Soucier, 44, of Wells, was treated for leg burns at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Christopher Graham, 50, also of Wells, was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland for treatment of leg burns and respiratory issues. He remained in the hospital Tuesday evening.

Authorities said the explosion occurred when one employee tried and failed to light the restaurant’s gas stove, then left the gas on and went to find a co-worker to light it. When the second employee tried to light the stove, the gas exploded.

The force of the explosion shattered two windows in the building at 414 Main St., police said. The property is listed as a four-unit multi-family building with retail space. It’s not clear whether the other units were occupied at the time of the explosion.


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