icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
10 Aug, 2020 16:21

1 killed, several injured as ‘major gas explosion’ obliterates three Baltimore homes (PHOTOS)

1 killed, several injured as ‘major gas explosion’ obliterates three Baltimore homes (PHOTOS)

A huge gas explosion has reduced three row houses to rubble in Baltimore, Maryland, killing one resident and injuring several others, the city's fire department has said. At least five people remain trapped in the debris.

Shocking photos from the scene show an empty space in the row of houses where the destroyed homes used to stand. The trio of two-story buildings were literally leveled to the ground, and many nearby homes also sustained damage in the blast.

The explosion occurred at around 10am local time in a residential area in the northeast of the city.

Several fire and emergency vehicles rushed to assist the victims, with officials from Baltimore Gas and Electric and the Baltimore Office of Emergency Management also on the scene.

An adult woman was pronounced dead on site, with two other residents of the destroyed homes taken to hospital in serious condition, the Fire Department wrote on Twitter.

The rescuers were looking for other survivors, it added, with at least five people believed to still be trapped beneath the ruined homes.

A 77-year-old witness who lives nearby told the Baltimore Sun that there were at least two explosions. The man said he was looking outside after the first bang when the second blast occurred.

“It knocked me across the bed. I came downstairs and saw all of the front of the houses across the street, they were on the ground. I had a picture window downstairs, the glass is in the chair now,” the witness explained.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57