Gas Explosion Rocks Philadelphia Neighborhood Overnight
A gas explosion destroyed two homes in Philadelphia overnight. The incident, which took place in the city’s Port Richmond section, left at least three people in the hospital, according to a report from Fox29.
There were hundreds of reports of a scary rattling overnight in Philadelphia as a result of the explosion.
With hundreds of residents taking to social media to report that their homes had shaken. One wrote, “it was so bad my ceiling tiles literally shook.”
It happened shortly before 3 a.m. on Sunday (New Year’s Day) on the 3500 block of Miller Street, officials say.
When emergency officials arrived on the scene they found two collapsed homes, cars pushed into the street, and debris everywhere. The smell of gas was radiating in the area as they reported multiple gas leaks in the immediate area, Fox29 says.
As of Sunday morning, at least one of the victims was reported to be in extremely critical condition.
"We were very fortunate from what we know now not to have a loss of life, because it’s the middle of the night and everyone is sleeping," Philadelphia's Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker told the media early Sunday.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
“If it's confirmed to be a gas leak, it's very rare to have the magnitude of this type of damage occur to not have loss of life, truly a blessing,” Walker said.