A huge explosion erupted Monday morning in Baltimore, Maryland resulting in initial reports of mass casualties. Facts are still trickling in but as of now, one person has been confirmed dead and at least five people, including children are trapped in the rubble.
"We are borderline mass casualty at this point. This explosion has affected at least a three block radius up here." re: explosion in NW Baltimore #scanner
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) August 10, 2020
Gas leak probable cause of explosion
Three iconic Baltimore “row houses” exploded Monday morning prompting police scanner reports of “borderline mass casualty.” The massive explosion has killed at least one woman. Five others, including children, are reportedly trapped, as first responders battle to get them out.
According to Fox Baltimore, “several houses were impacted” by the explosion. While there aren’t many solid facts available at this time, we do know from eyewitness reports that “at least three homes exploded” and the most likely cause is a “massive gas leak.” Moses Glover describes how “it knocked me across the bed.” The 77-year-old “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.”
Around three dozen firefighters “converged on the disaster scene, where the natural gas explosion reduced to the homes to piles of rubble and pieces of debris,” local news WTOC reports. They also note, “A fourth house in the row was partly destroyed, and the neighborhood was strewn with glass from shattered windows.
Special rescue operation units
According to fire officials, “two of the homes’ occupants were taken to separate hospitals in serious condition, while an adult woman was pronounced dead at the scene.” Baltimore’s special rescue operation units were searching for other people. Officials with Baltimore Gas and Electric got an “initial call” from the fire department at 9:54 a.m. and was scrambling to “turn off the gas to buildings in the immediate area.” They’re playing liability for the explosion close to the vest.
#BCOFD // House Explosion// Multiple units from Baltimore County has been requested to assist Baltimore City Fire Department with a house explosion. ^MJ pic.twitter.com/zUQwrYcJ3K
— Baltimore County Fire Department (@BaltCoFire) August 10, 2020
As related by spokeswoman Linda Foy, “we are on the scene and working closely with the fire department to make the situation safe. Once the gas is off, we can begin to safely assess the situation, including inspections of BGE equipment.” Every natural gas explosion is a serious catastrophe.
Prayers for the residents in the apartment complex.
Damn! Just what we needed, another tragedy to deal with. It sounds like there was a gas leak affecting at least three houses. The gas company usually adds a component to their gas supply that smells awful, so people can smell it and report it before something horrid happens. I hate to think of common everyday people being blindsided by something like this. When I was a kid, the gas company gave us a smell of the sulfur compound they added to gas and told us that if we smelled something like that, we should get out of the house, call the gas company from a neighbor’s house and stay away until the company had the problem fixed. If they don’t still do this, they damned well should be.