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Monument unveiled 50 years after deadly Richmond explosions

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - A monument honoring 41 people killed by natural gas explosions that rocked an eastern Indiana city has been unveiled on the disaster's 50th anniversary.

The 3-foot-by-6-foot stone monument was dedicated Friday in Richmond during a ceremony that included a moment of silence at 1:47 p.m., when the explosions started in a sporting goods store's basement.

The Palladium-Item reports the monument is engraved with the phrase, "Death in a Sunny Street," which comes from a book about the disaster. It also includes the names of the victims - read aloud and followed by tolling bells.

The marker also honors those who rebuilt Richmond after the explosions swept the downtown. The April 6, 1968, explosions also destroyed 15 buildings and injured about 120 people in the city 65 miles east of Indianapolis.

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Information from: Palladium-Item, http://www.pal-item.com

A man cries as he listens to the reading of names of the 41 people killed in the 1968 downtown Richmond explosion during a ceremony on the event's 50th anniversary, held at Elstro Plaza in Richmond, Ind., on Friday, April 6, 2018. A monument honoring 41 people killed by natural gas explosions that rocked an eastern Indiana city has been unveiled on the disaster's 50th anniversary. The 3-foot-by-6-foot stone monument was dedicated Friday in Richmond during a ceremony that included a moment of silence at 1:47 p.m., when the explosions started in a sporting goods store's basement. (Mickey Shuey /The Palladium-Item via AP) The Associated Press
A man and woman look at a monument listing the names of the 41 people killed during a 1968 downtown Richmond explosion, during a ceremony marking its 50th anniversary at Elstro Plaza in Richmond, Ind., on Friday, April 6, 2018. A monument honoring 41 people killed by natural gas explosions that rocked an eastern Indiana city has been unveiled on the disaster's 50th anniversary. The 3-foot-by-6-foot stone monument was dedicated Friday in Richmond during a ceremony that included a moment of silence at 1:47 p.m., when the explosions started in a sporting goods store's basement. (Mickey Shuey /The Palladium-Item via AP) The Associated Press
Mayor Dave Snow delivers a proclamation in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 downtown Richmond explosion during a ceremony at Elstro Plaza on Friday, April 6, 2018. A monument honoring 41 people killed by natural gas explosions that rocked an eastern Indiana city has been unveiled on the disaster's 50th anniversary. The 3-foot-by-6-foot stone monument was dedicated Friday in Richmond during a ceremony that included a moment of silence at 1:47 p.m., when the explosions started in a sporting goods store's basement. (Mickey Shuey /The Palladium-Item via AP) The Associated Press
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