Nov. 24, 2012 4:58 PM ET
Mass. natural gas explosion damaged 42 buildings
By SUSAN HAIGH, Associated Press
AIM
Share
Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
1 of 5
More News
Video
Gas explosion levels Mass. buildings; several hurt
Nov. 23, 20128:07 PM ET
Authorities: 2 buildings flattened, 3 damaged beyond repair in Mass. gas blast; no fatalities
Nov. 23, 20128:03 PM ET
Indiana home explosion investigated as homicide
Nov. 20, 20129:38 AM ET
Left with tornado damage, Ala town blaming FEMA
Nov. 18, 201210:30 AM ET
West Texas town begins recovery after train crash
Nov. 17, 20122:49 PM ET
Advertisement
Advertisement
Buy AP Photo Reprints
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Preliminary investigations show more than 40 buildings were damaged in a natural gas explosion in Massachusetts that injured 18 people, building inspectors said Saturday.
A strip club was flattened and a day care center was heavily damaged in the massive explosion Friday night in Springfield, one of New England's biggest cities.
No one was killed in the explosion.
Investigators were trying Saturday to figure out what caused the blast that could be heard for miles, left a large hole in the ground where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood and scattered debris over several blocks.
Officials already had evacuated part of the entertainment district after responding to a gas leak and odor reported about an hour before the explosion. Gas workers venting a gas leak got indications that the building was about to explode and they ducked for cover behind a utility truck — along with firefighters and police officers — just before the blast, said Mark McDonald, president of the New England Gas Workers Association.
Most of the injured were in that group, and the truck that saved their lives was essentially demolished, he said.
"It really is a miracle and it's an example of our public safety officials, each and every day, putting themselves in harm's way, taking what could have been considered a very routine call of an odor of gas, but they took the proper precautions," State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. "And thanks to God that they did."
Officials also marveled how the 5:30 p.m. blast occurred when a day care center next door was closed. The center's building was heavily damaged.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno were attending a tree-lighting ceremony when the explosion occurred. Sarno said some people mistakenly thought the boom was part of the holiday event.
The explosion blew out windows in a three-block radius, leaving at least three buildings irreparably damaged and causing emergency workers to evacuate a six-story apartment building that was buckling, police said. Pieces of broken glass littered streets and sidewalks. It was unclear how many residents had been evacuated. A shelter was set up at a school, but city officials said no one stayed there overnight.
Omar Fermin, manager of the Punta Cana Restaurant two blocks from the explosion site, found the floor-to-ceiling windows blasted out when he came to check on the property Saturday morning.
"It looks like an earthquake hit," said Fermin, a native of the Dominican Republic. "I've never seen anything like it."
He said he was waiting for someone to come and assess the damage. He worried the restaurant would remain closed for weeks while the owner seeks to replace the massive custom-made windows.
Authorities cordoned off the center of the explosion Saturday as building inspectors worked to identify unsafe structures. Anxious residents gathered at the perimeter, waiting for permission to visit their buildings.
Preliminary reports show the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units, said Thomas Walsh, spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.
Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe, Walsh said.
Dogs trapped in abandoned buildings barked loudly Saturday as building inspectors fanned out across the area. One inspector said he wished he could get a ladder and permission to retrieve a dog that was barking in the upper floor of one building sealed off from residents.
Authorities are opening an animal shelter for pets affected by the explosion, Walsh said.
Coan, the fire marshal, said his office is investigating the cause of the blast and its possible origin. The state's Department of Public Utilities was also investigating.
Sheila Doiron, a spokeswoman for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, said the company will continue to monitor for any potential leaks within several blocks of the blast site. So far, she said, the company hadn't yet found any measurable readings.
The utility will keep at least 30 workers at the scene, along with a so-called sniffing car mounted with sophisticated gadgets capable of detecting low levels of gas leaks, Walsh said.
Doiron said the company also didn't find in its records any gas odor calls to the area where the strip club was located.
Authorities also deployed police officers throughout the area to prevent looting, Walsh said.
The victims were taken to two hospitals in the city. Those injured were nine firefighters, two police officers, four Columbia Gas workers, two civilians and another city employee.
Springfield, which is 90 miles west of Boston and has about 150,000 residents, is the largest city in western Massachusetts. It's known as the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is not near the blast site.
The city has been rebuilding from damage caused by a tornado in June 2011.
Wayne Davis, who lives about a block from the destroyed building, said he felt his apartment shake.
"I was laying down in bed, and I started feeling the building shaking and creaking," he said.
The Navy veteran said the boom from the explosion was louder than anything he'd ever heard, including the sound of a jet landing on an aircraft carrier.
The blast was so loud it was heard in several neighboring communities. Video from WWLP-TV showed the moment of the explosion, with smoke billowing into the air above the neighborhood.
=======
Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
People keep a perimeter, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, around the area where a gas explosion leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Robert Spano, left, and Alan Hugley clean up broken glass, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, outside of Punta cana Restaurant & Bar, a few blocks from the site of a Friday-evening gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
___
Associated Press writers Rodrique Ngowi, Bridget Murphy and Bob Salsberg in Boston and Jessica Hill in Springfield contributed to this report.
===========================
Gas explosion levels building, injures 18 in Springfield, Massachusetts
Sat, Nov 24 09:14 AM EST
1 of 4
(Reuters) - An explosion triggered by a gas leak destroyed a strip club in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, on Friday, injuring 18 people, although none seriously, authorities said.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said the building, a Scores Gentlemen's Club, exploded at about 5:25 p.m. as gas company workers, police officers and firefighters were responding to a leak in the area.
The 18 injured people included nine firefighters, four Columbia Gas of Massachusetts employees and two police officers, Sarno said.
"Through God's mercy, we are not aware of any fatalities," Sarno told reporters, adding none of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.
The club had been evacuated before the explosion due to the gas leak, which may have saved the lives of patrons and employees who had been inside, said Thomas Walsh, a spokesman for the city.
Images on a local CBS affiliate showed buildings with shattered windows, debris scattered in the street, and emergency services entering the area.
Witnesses described to local media a massive explosion that shook the ground and produced a huge cloud of smoke. The explosion was powerful enough to be felt in neighboring towns, Sarno told reporters.
At least 15 to 20 buildings in Springfield's downtown section sustained extensive damage in the blast, including a six-story residential building where a number of units have been condemned due to damage from the explosion, Walsh said.
The city established an emergency shelter to accommodate residents displaced by the blast, Sarno said.
Officials said state and local investigators were trying to determine the cause of the gas leak and subsequent explosion.
Last year, Springfield was hit with a tornado that cut a path several blocks wide, ripping apart trees and damaging buildings. Springfield has a population of about 150,000 people.
(Reporting By Tim Gaynor, Alex Dobuzinskis and Nick Carey; Editing by Peter Cooney)
==========================
Several hurt, none killed in massive downtown gas explosion
Firefighters, police among the injured
Updated: Saturday, 24 Nov 2012, 8:45 AM EST
Published : Friday, 23 Nov 2012, 4:41 PM EST
Ryan Walsh
Anthony Fay
Barry Kriger
Yoojin Cho
Shannon Halligan
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A massive gas explosion destroyed a downtown Springfield bar, sent glass and bricks flying down Worthington Street, and injured several people, including nine Springfield firefighters and two police officers. Fortunately, all those injured are expected to survive.
"It really was a miracle on Worthington Street that no one was killed," Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray said during a news conference in Springfield Friday night.
Dozens of people have been forced from their homes due to the blast, and police are preventing any non-emergency personnel from getting near the blast area.
Injuries:
Mayor Domenic Sarno says that they know of a total of 18 injured people, nine of whom are Springfield firefighters, two are Springfield police officers, four are Columbia Gas workers, one is a Springfield Water and Sewer Commission worker, and two are civilians.
Jane Albert of Baystate Medical Center told 22News that ten patients were brought to their Emergency Room due to the explosion, but none of them are in critical condition. She said that she does not anticipate that any additional injured people will be coming in. Five of those brought to the ER will be admitted to the hospital, and none of the injuries were burns.
Mary Orr from Mercy Medical Center told 22News that they are treating eight patients, including two firefighters. All of them are expected to survive.
Dennis Leger, Aide to the Springfield Fire Commissioner, said that some of their injured firefighters have already been sent home. He said that the worst injuries at this time appear to be facial cuts, but they are worried about some concussions. One firefighter had fallen into a nearby manhole following the blast.
The Explosion:
Advertisement
Buy AP Photo Reprints
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Preliminary investigations show more than 40 buildings were damaged in a natural gas explosion in Massachusetts that injured 18 people, building inspectors said Saturday.
A strip club was flattened and a day care center was heavily damaged in the massive explosion Friday night in Springfield, one of New England's biggest cities.
No one was killed in the explosion.
Investigators were trying Saturday to figure out what caused the blast that could be heard for miles, left a large hole in the ground where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood and scattered debris over several blocks.
Officials already had evacuated part of the entertainment district after responding to a gas leak and odor reported about an hour before the explosion. Gas workers venting a gas leak got indications that the building was about to explode and they ducked for cover behind a utility truck — along with firefighters and police officers — just before the blast, said Mark McDonald, president of the New England Gas Workers Association.
Most of the injured were in that group, and the truck that saved their lives was essentially demolished, he said.
"It really is a miracle and it's an example of our public safety officials, each and every day, putting themselves in harm's way, taking what could have been considered a very routine call of an odor of gas, but they took the proper precautions," State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. "And thanks to God that they did."
Officials also marveled how the 5:30 p.m. blast occurred when a day care center next door was closed. The center's building was heavily damaged.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno were attending a tree-lighting ceremony when the explosion occurred. Sarno said some people mistakenly thought the boom was part of the holiday event.
The explosion blew out windows in a three-block radius, leaving at least three buildings irreparably damaged and causing emergency workers to evacuate a six-story apartment building that was buckling, police said. Pieces of broken glass littered streets and sidewalks. It was unclear how many residents had been evacuated. A shelter was set up at a school, but city officials said no one stayed there overnight.
Omar Fermin, manager of the Punta Cana Restaurant two blocks from the explosion site, found the floor-to-ceiling windows blasted out when he came to check on the property Saturday morning.
"It looks like an earthquake hit," said Fermin, a native of the Dominican Republic. "I've never seen anything like it."
He said he was waiting for someone to come and assess the damage. He worried the restaurant would remain closed for weeks while the owner seeks to replace the massive custom-made windows.
Authorities cordoned off the center of the explosion Saturday as building inspectors worked to identify unsafe structures. Anxious residents gathered at the perimeter, waiting for permission to visit their buildings.
Preliminary reports show the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units, said Thomas Walsh, spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.
Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe, Walsh said.
Dogs trapped in abandoned buildings barked loudly Saturday as building inspectors fanned out across the area. One inspector said he wished he could get a ladder and permission to retrieve a dog that was barking in the upper floor of one building sealed off from residents.
Authorities are opening an animal shelter for pets affected by the explosion, Walsh said.
Coan, the fire marshal, said his office is investigating the cause of the blast and its possible origin. The state's Department of Public Utilities was also investigating.
Sheila Doiron, a spokeswoman for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, said the company will continue to monitor for any potential leaks within several blocks of the blast site. So far, she said, the company hadn't yet found any measurable readings.
The utility will keep at least 30 workers at the scene, along with a so-called sniffing car mounted with sophisticated gadgets capable of detecting low levels of gas leaks, Walsh said.
Doiron said the company also didn't find in its records any gas odor calls to the area where the strip club was located.
Authorities also deployed police officers throughout the area to prevent looting, Walsh said.
The victims were taken to two hospitals in the city. Those injured were nine firefighters, two police officers, four Columbia Gas workers, two civilians and another city employee.
Springfield, which is 90 miles west of Boston and has about 150,000 residents, is the largest city in western Massachusetts. It's known as the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is not near the blast site.
The city has been rebuilding from damage caused by a tornado in June 2011.
Wayne Davis, who lives about a block from the destroyed building, said he felt his apartment shake.
"I was laying down in bed, and I started feeling the building shaking and creaking," he said.
The Navy veteran said the boom from the explosion was louder than anything he'd ever heard, including the sound of a jet landing on an aircraft carrier.
The blast was so loud it was heard in several neighboring communities. Video from WWLP-TV showed the moment of the explosion, with smoke billowing into the air above the neighborhood.
=======
Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
People keep a perimeter, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, around the area where a gas explosion leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Robert Spano, left, and Alan Hugley clean up broken glass, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, outside of Punta cana Restaurant & Bar, a few blocks from the site of a Friday-evening gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
___
Associated Press writers Rodrique Ngowi, Bridget Murphy and Bob Salsberg in Boston and Jessica Hill in Springfield contributed to this report.
===========================
Gas explosion levels building, injures 18 in Springfield, Massachusetts
Sat, Nov 24 09:14 AM EST
1 of 4
(Reuters) - An explosion triggered by a gas leak destroyed a strip club in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, on Friday, injuring 18 people, although none seriously, authorities said.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said the building, a Scores Gentlemen's Club, exploded at about 5:25 p.m. as gas company workers, police officers and firefighters were responding to a leak in the area.
The 18 injured people included nine firefighters, four Columbia Gas of Massachusetts employees and two police officers, Sarno said.
"Through God's mercy, we are not aware of any fatalities," Sarno told reporters, adding none of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.
The club had been evacuated before the explosion due to the gas leak, which may have saved the lives of patrons and employees who had been inside, said Thomas Walsh, a spokesman for the city.
Images on a local CBS affiliate showed buildings with shattered windows, debris scattered in the street, and emergency services entering the area.
Witnesses described to local media a massive explosion that shook the ground and produced a huge cloud of smoke. The explosion was powerful enough to be felt in neighboring towns, Sarno told reporters.
At least 15 to 20 buildings in Springfield's downtown section sustained extensive damage in the blast, including a six-story residential building where a number of units have been condemned due to damage from the explosion, Walsh said.
The city established an emergency shelter to accommodate residents displaced by the blast, Sarno said.
Officials said state and local investigators were trying to determine the cause of the gas leak and subsequent explosion.
Last year, Springfield was hit with a tornado that cut a path several blocks wide, ripping apart trees and damaging buildings. Springfield has a population of about 150,000 people.
(Reporting By Tim Gaynor, Alex Dobuzinskis and Nick Carey; Editing by Peter Cooney)
==========================
Several hurt, none killed in massive downtown gas explosion
Firefighters, police among the injured
Updated: Saturday, 24 Nov 2012, 8:45 AM EST
Published : Friday, 23 Nov 2012, 4:41 PM EST
Ryan Walsh
Anthony Fay
Barry Kriger
Yoojin Cho
Shannon Halligan
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A massive gas explosion destroyed a downtown Springfield bar, sent glass and bricks flying down Worthington Street, and injured several people, including nine Springfield firefighters and two police officers. Fortunately, all those injured are expected to survive.
"It really was a miracle on Worthington Street that no one was killed," Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray said during a news conference in Springfield Friday night.
Dozens of people have been forced from their homes due to the blast, and police are preventing any non-emergency personnel from getting near the blast area.
Injuries:
Mayor Domenic Sarno says that they know of a total of 18 injured people, nine of whom are Springfield firefighters, two are Springfield police officers, four are Columbia Gas workers, one is a Springfield Water and Sewer Commission worker, and two are civilians.
Jane Albert of Baystate Medical Center told 22News that ten patients were brought to their Emergency Room due to the explosion, but none of them are in critical condition. She said that she does not anticipate that any additional injured people will be coming in. Five of those brought to the ER will be admitted to the hospital, and none of the injuries were burns.
Mary Orr from Mercy Medical Center told 22News that they are treating eight patients, including two firefighters. All of them are expected to survive.
Dennis Leger, Aide to the Springfield Fire Commissioner, said that some of their injured firefighters have already been sent home. He said that the worst injuries at this time appear to be facial cuts, but they are worried about some concussions. One firefighter had fallen into a nearby manhole following the blast.
The Explosion:
Several hurt, none killed in massive downtown gas explosion
The explosion happened after a gas leak in the area, which was reported around 4:20 P.M. The loud boom, which came just after 5:00, could be heard and felt as far away as Hardwick, Granby, Belchertown, and Monson. In downtown, the explosion sent a huge cloud of smoke into the air, and people standing nearby were knocked to their feet. The Scores gentlemen's club was destroyed in the explosion. The bar was not open for business at the time of the blast. All Springfield fire companies reported to the area following the explosion, and ambulances from nearby communities like Agawam and Wilbraham were also called in. Shattered glass and bricks can be seen strewn on the sidewalks on Worthington Street. Windows were broken as far away as the Hampden Bank building on Harrison Avenue. 22News reporter Ryan Walsh witnessed several people cut or bleeding, and put onto stretchers. Buildings in the area of the earlier gas leak had been evacuated prior to the explosion, but after the blast, firefighters and police went to nearby buildings to get remaining people out. The Situation Downtown: Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant says that there are 12 buildings in all with significant damage, and about 12 others with minor damage. At least 40 apartment units in the area near the explosion were evacuated, and police are not allowing people within a perimeter they have set-up close to the explosion site. Civilians are not being allowed inside the area between Harrison, Bridge Tyler, Worthington, Chestnut and Spring Streets. Residents of the area may go to a shelter that has been set-up at Central High School. Mayor Domenic Sarno says that food and transportation will be provided. For those who have damage, the city's Housing Division will be staffing its phones starting at 7:00 Saturday morning. You can call them at (413) 787-6731 or 787-6732. Columbia Gas crews informed Captain Cheryl Claprood that they are now finding "higher than normal" levels of natural gas readings still underground some the the streets in the area. ==================
No comments:
Post a Comment