The Morning Call of Allentown reports Thursday that a family lawyer says 74-year-old Beatrice Hall was talking to a friend when the line went dead last month.
A city fire official confirms the call. He says it suggests Hall and her 79-year-old husband William were unaware of the looming danger that killed them.
The explosion flattened a pair of row houses and set fire to a block of homes in an area where the underground gas main lacked shut-off valves.
Meanwhile, the first round of relief checks ranging from $500 to $5,000 are being sent to some of the 35 affected families.
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Information from: The Morning Call