Two Children Among Victims Killed in Silver Spring Explosion

Montgomery County police detectives have released the names of two of the youngest victims killed in the Silver Spring explosion and fire. The names of the children positively identified are:

• Deibi “David” Samir Lainez Morales, 8
• Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana, 3

The remains of seven people were removed from the rubble after natural gas exploded in a meter room of the Flower Branch Apartments on August 10. The blast and fire destroyed two buildings at 8701 and 8703 Arliss Avenue. Investigators are continuing their work of identifying two more victims while the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the cause of the gas explosion.

On August 19, Montgomery County police released the names of three people killed in the apartment building explosion. The three victims previously identified are:

• Augusto Jimenez, Sr., 62
• Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, 53
• Saul Paniagua, 65

About Phyllis Armstrong

Phyllis Armstrong is a multimedia journalist with more than 30 years of experience in writing, reporting and broadcasting. She covered a wide range of news interests and issues as a general assignment reporter for WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 2009. Phyllis has continued to produce feature stories about local restaurants, culinary professionals and minority achievers for several online publications. Cooking, reading and Tai Chi are among are favorite things to do.

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