A 20-year-old Minnesota college student who was dog-sitting for a family was killed in an explosion that leveled their home — where her body was found in the basement.
Aspiring teacher Kailey Mach perished in the blast that destroyed the house on 211th Avenue in Lexington Township late Friday, WCCO reported.
“It is in bitter shock, that I come to tell you our baby girl, Kailey Mach was involved in a house explosion and did not survive. Our hearts are shattered and mine is still numb in shock,” her mother, Vicki Bettin Mach, wrote on Facebook.
“We are asking for our time and immediate family only at this time. Fly high baby girl….. you were an angel here on earth to us and we will never be the same,” she added.
Mach, who graduated from Tri-City United High School in 2019, was pursuing a degree in education at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.
Kailey Mach was killed when the house where she was dog-sitting exploded. Police are investigating the cause. Facebook/Kailey Mach
Authorities in Minnesota are investigating the cause of the explosion. WCCOHer uncle, Tim Siebsen, told KARE 11 that she dreamed of becoming a kindergarten teacher.
“She worked so hard to be a teacher; she was going to graduate almost a year early,” Siebsen told the outlet.
“She was an employee of TCU schools working as a KidZone leader (before and after child care), [and] she also worked as a preschool aid in the district,” he said.
According to police, Kailey Mach’s body was found in the basement of the destroyed house. WCCO
Kailey Mach was studying to be a kindergarten teacher, according to her family.
“She was so loved by all of her kiddos. She was so loved by anyone that met her. She did all this while taking more than a full-time class load at Augsburg,” Siebsen added.
An Augsburg University rep told KARE 11 that the school was “deeply saddened by Kailey’s tragic passing this weekend, and we offer our profound condolences to her family, friends, professors, classmates, and all who were close to her.”
Mach’s friend Shelby told WCCO that the young woman “always talked about how she was going to change the world by teaching the next generation.
The explosion happened on February 25, 2022, in Lexington Township. WCCO
The debris of the home at the explosion site. WCCO“She didn’t care if she was having a bad day, if you told her you were upset, she wouldn’t rest until she got you to smile,” she added.
The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office and the state Fire Marshall’s Office are investigating the cause of the explosion, which is unclear at this time.
