Victims of school explosion identified

MINNEAPOLIS — One was an 81-year-old custodian known for handing out ice cream bars to students at his beloved Minnehaha Academy, where he and his children attended school decades earlier. The other was a longtime receptionist with an infectious smile who was planning her wedding.

John Carlson and Ruth Berg were both longtime employees at the private Christian school in Minneapolis when they were killed Wednesday in an explosion on campus. Their bodies were pulled from the rubble of a partially collapsed building after the blast, which investigators believe was sparked by a natural gas explosion.

Berg, 47, had been scheduled to be fitted for her wedding dress Thursday, her fiance, Mark Burrington, told Minnesota Public Radio.

He said he last spoke with Berg over the telephone Wednesday about having lunch together. A short time later, he heard the blast and ran to the scene.

Berg worked for Minnehaha Academy for 17 years. On its Facebook page, the school said: “She welcomed everyone with a smile and was always willing to go the extra mile to help our students, families, and staff.”

Carlson graduated from the academy in 1953, and later sent his children to the school. He had been working there as a custodian for 14 years. He was also known for handing out ice cream bars to staff and students.

The next phase — the investigation into the blast’s cause — began Thursday. A rapid-response team from the National Transportation Safety Board was at the school Thursday morning to investigate the leak. Such determinations can take a year or more before being reached.