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Oklahoma man says washing machine blew up, damaging his home

Posted at 9:22 PM, Jun 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-03 21:22:59-04

ELK CITY, Okla. — An Oklahoma man and his family were shocked after he says their washing machine exploded during a spin cycle over the weekend.

“(We) threw in a load of sheets and started our washer, like any ordinary day,” Jack Hammond told KFOR. “We just hear a loud commotion all of a sudden. I jump up and try to figure out what that noise was and we come to our washing room.”

Hammond said it sounded like a grenade went off.

When they got there, the lid of their washing machine was twisted off and the body of the machine was distorted.

“We just were standing there starstruck, looking at the water on the floor,” Hammond said.

The explosion was so large, it left two large holes in the drywall where the washing machine normally sits and tore the trim off the laundry room door.

“After that happened, I searched washer blowing up and on the Google results, we ended up having one from 2017. It was an LG washer that looks almost identical to it, with the same direct drive motor,” Hammond said.

That was the only case he could find.

An LG representative is supposed to stop by Hammond’s home sometime later this week to figure out what could have caused the washer to explode.

Hammond is still in shock, thinking about what could have happened and feeling blessed that it didn’t.

"They love watching the clothes tumble around. So I could only imagine, you know, if one of our kids were looking inside it or something when this happened. It would have been catastrophic injuries to them,” Hammond said.

LG declined to comment until a technician can inspect the unit.