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Monday morning, a gas explosion rocked Baltimore and left at least one person dead. Meanwhile, one person is trapped at the time of this writing, and four more are injured.
The explosion was recorded at 9:54 am in a Northwest Baltimore neighborhood, in the 6500 block between Reisterstown Road and Labyrinth Road.
Fire officials in the city of Baltimore told reporters on the scene that a woman died immediately following the explosion. Meanwhile, four other people have been rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment. The Baltimore Fire department confirmed that the debris has trapped at least one person, and they’re searching the rubble for others.
Baltimore Fire Department responded swiftly to the booming explosion that rocked the neighborhood. Just after noon on Monday, Baltimore Fire tweeted, “Update: 6 people involved in W. Baltimore gas explosion includes 4 people transported in serious condition, 1 adult woman deceased, & FFs continue to rescue additional occupant. The cause is under investigation as we continue to search for any possible additional occupants.”
The American Red Cross is on scene in the neighborhood to assist any displaced residents. They’re handing out water to the victims. Meanwhile, Baltimore Housing Inspectors are on the scene to investigate the cause of the explosion. City councilman Isaac Schleifer told reporters that there are reports of damage as far as five blocks away. Fire crews from Howard County are assisting Baltimore Fire in the search and rescue effort.
Residents told reporters on the ground that they heard a loud, bass “boom” and felt the ground shaking. The explosion was felt in a four-block radius. Immediately after, debris was strewn around the street, and little more than rubble stood where three houses once were. The explosion also damaged nearby domiciles.
Shoppers looking for mobile phone discounts and flat-screen TVs in a nearby shopping area also reported hearing the distant explosion. Homes as far away as five blocks sustained damaged from the spray of debris. Photographs from the scene depict widespread debris and broken windows all around the epicenter of the explosion.
The explosion terrified some residents, who described it as looking like a bomb went off. One man who spoke to reporters confided in how deeply the experience affected him, noting he never wanted to see devastation like that again. “I don’t want to relive it ever again,” Dean Jones told reporters on the scene.
