Fayston man facing charges in explosion incident that injured two
June 27, 2024 | By Waterbury RoundaboutA Fayston man is due in state criminal court in Barre today to answer to charges related to an explosion last week that injured both him and another man.
Vermont State Police on Wednesday reported that they cited 47-year-old Joseph Heim of Fayston on multiple charges connected with the June 18 incident that happened in a field off Phen Basin Road. Police said that Heim and Abdulbary Sirajuddin, 22, of Fayston, were setting off homemade explosive devices similar to M-80 fireworks at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, when one of the devices exploded in Sirajuddin’s hand.
The explosion resulted in serious injuries to both men, police said. Heim was treated for his injuries at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and has since been discharged. Sirajuddin remains hospitalized at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, police said.
Detectives said that their investigation has turned up evidence of explosives being manufactured in Heim’s home on Farm Road in Fayston.
The citation for Heim contains four charges: possession of a destructive device; possession and use of explosives; unlawful trespass; and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled to be arraigned in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre early this afternoon.
The Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations is leading this ongoing investigation which has involved members of the state police Bomb Squad, Underwater Recovery Team and Field Force Division, the Vermont Hazardous Materials Response Team and the FBI.
Police continue to ask that anyone with any information that could assist investigators call the state police Berlin Barracks at 802-229-9191 or submit an anonymous tip online at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
Original post is below.
Explosion in Fayston sends two men to the hospital
June 19, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout Two men were hospitalized Tuesday night with injuries from an explosion in Fayston that is under investigation by Vermont State Police.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. Tuesday “at an outdoor location” on Phen Basin Road, according to a press release by Lt. Thomas Howard at the Berlin barracks.
Two men were injured by an explosive device, police said. One of the men was taken by DHART medical helicopter transport to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the other was transported by ambulance to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, police said.
Troopers did not release the names of the men, saying they are withholding that information at this time.
“The exact nature and circumstances surrounding this incident are under active investigation by various units within VSP, including the Bomb Squad, and no further information is available at this time,” the news release states.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to call the Berlin barracks at 802-229-9191 or leave an anonymous tip online at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
This post will be updated when more information is made available.