A major explosion in Baltimore, Maryland, destroyed a part of a residential area that killed one person in the process and left multiple residents, including children, trapped underneath the rubble today at 10 A.M. local time.
Three houses in Reistertown Station Neighborhood were destroyed in what seems to be an explosion believed to be related to gas. The blate left multiple residents injured and still missing. Respondents are still determining the cause of the explosion as the 'gas leak' reason is still under investigation.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the blast is catastrophic and caused multiple nearby areas to have windows and doors broken. Some people near the scene were "pushed off their feet," and some further testified to feeling the ground shake.
The survivors are in fair to critical conditions as they were rushed to the University of Maryland Medical Center. First responders did not confirm the victims' demographic, but some witnesses state that they heard children calling for help.
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City's response
Baltimore City Fire Department arrived on the scene shortly and was assisted by the Baltimore County Fire Department and other volunteer fire unions in containing the scene.
In a tweet by the Baltimore Fire @BaltimoreFire, the city's fire department, they stated that they were able to recover seven injured residents trapped under the explosion and one adult woman confirmed dead on the scene.
BCFD remains on the scene of the W. Baltimore explosion. We will continue to dig through the debris through the night. At this time, 7 people were transported & 1 confirmed dead. The cause remains under investigation. pic.twitter.com/gmbCetK2SI — Baltimore Fire (@BaltimoreFire) August 10, 2020
The city's respondents, along with Baltimore County Fire Department and Baltimore Fire Union, will continue to search the area and dig underneath the debris to look for possible survivors. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan shared in his tweet that they are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work in locating survivors trapped underneath and will continue to pursue leads. He further stated that they would continue to determine the cause of the "horrific" explosion.
We are closely monitoring the situation in northwest Baltimore following this morning’s horrific explosion. We have reached out to offer our full support to the ongoing response and recovery efforts, and are deeply grateful to the first responders on the scene. — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) August 10, 2020
What is the cause of the explosion?
As of the moment, the city fire department is still determining what caused the horrific explosion as the occurrence remains a mystery. The respondents were left puzzled as an explosion causing a loud explosion noise, and massive destruction is unusual in a residential area.
The respondents contacted the Baltimore Gas and Electric, Co., to ask whether it was a gas explosion or coming from a gas leak, but still, reasons remain yet to be known.
The gas and electric company said that they completely shut-off both power lines to effectively conduct a safe search for possible survivors and responders to determine what caused the horrendous blast accurately.
Old, faulty gas pipes?
The Baltimore Sun said in a report less than a year ago that there are pipelines needing replacement as they are leaking out "natural gas" throughout the city.
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) stated that the entire city's pipeline replacement would take decades to complete. Dozens of leaks were reported on a daily basis throughout the city. The company also stated that this went on for years.
The company is replacing the gas pipelines ever since then to better their service and reduce the risk of global warming and an explosion.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Alonzo
