A Cicero couple expressed heartbreak on Sunday, one day after losing their home in an explosion on their wedding day.
The explosion took place at around 5 p.m. at a home in the 2200 block of Central Avenue, but all of the six residents were at the wedding at the time of the incident, authorities said.
Eleni Vrettos and her now-husband had just finished their vows a few towns over at the time. As soon as the ceremony ended and family photos began, relatives started receiving phone calls.
The explosion marked a very difficult moment in the couple's wedding night, but Vrettos said being around her family and friends helped them through it.
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"My niece went over here to confirm, and then my husband went. I went, so I left. was in my wedding dress without a jacket, anything, just standing in the snow," she recounted. "It’s a blessing. My family wasn’t in the home and at first my husband and I didn’t wanna go to the reception and that was out of the question, but everyone that who supported and loved us was there, so we did return."
The couple lost their six cats, who were inside the house.
They have since started the difficult process of rebuilding their life and launched a fundraiser for a new home.
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Authorities said Sunday afternoon four other families were waiting to return to their homes after a building in the 5600 block of West 22nd Place was damaged. Door replacements and other cleanup were still being done Sunday.
Both the Red Cross and Cicero officials were assisting families impacted by the explosion and subsequent fire, according to a press spokesperson.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but officials suspect that gas contributed to the blast.
