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The condition of a woman injured in a house explosion in Big Lake Township worsened on Thursday.

Ramona Cusick's condition was downgraded from serious to critical. She and her husband, Laddy, both 79, were moving into a house Wednesday on 182nd Avenue when the house exploded.

Laddy Cusick's condition was upgraded to fair, but he and his wife remained at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Marianne Richardson, who with her husband, Chester, was helping the Cusicks move, remained in serious condition at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

The Cusicks had moved to Minnesota from Arizona last week. When they went to the house on Monday, the couple smelled gas, according to the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office, which also indicated that a repairman from the gas company reportedly checked the house and found no problems. Xcel Energy had no record of a visit, Xcel spokesman Tom Hoen said.

A crew visited the house to open the account in January, but since then there have been no repair calls, Hoen said. Xcel workers at the site this morning checked lines and connections in the area but found no irregularities, Hoen said.

Further information about Ramona Cusick's condition was not available from the hospital. Her family also declined to comment.

The explosion and fire, which destroyed the house, remain under investigation.

MARIA ELENA BACA