Officials: Contractor laying cable hit gas line before explosion



(CNN) -- An employee of a subcontractor laying fiber optic cable hit a 2-inch gas line with a boring machine about an hour before an explosion killed one person at a popular restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri.

Fire Chief Paul Berardi told reporters the subcontractor, Heartland Midwest, called 911 at 4:55 p.m. Central Time to report the accident.

Authorities do not know what caused the leaking gas to ignite, according to Rob Hack, chief operating officer of Missouri Gas Energy.