At Least 6 Injured, 1 Dead, After Baltimore Gas Blast Leveled Three Homes
At least six people were injured and one killed in a natural gas explosion that destroyed three Baltimore houses, firefighters and the local media said Monday.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in northwest Baltimore following this morning’s horrific explosion,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. “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.”
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
The explosion occurred just before 10 a.m. Six people were taken to hospitals in serious condition, Baltimore Fire Department chief Roman Clark told The Baltimore Sun. One woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Update: Six people have been taken to hospitals in serious condition and one woman has been pronounced dead following the gas explosion in NW Baltimore, per @BaltimoreFire Chief Roman Clark.
— Colin Campbell ☀️ (@cmcampbell6) August 10, 2020
At one point, about 200 responders from three fire departments were at the scene of the explosion, tweeted the Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734, which described the explosion and fire as “a major 3-alarm incident.”
The Maryland State Fire Marshal said its bomb squad was on the scene.
UPDATE - @MarylandOSFM & @ATFBaltimore are continuing to assist @BCFDL734@ChiefNilesRFord with the house explosion in the 6500 bl of Labyrinth. Investigators are staging & beginning their initial investigation. 1 person has died & 5 others are reported injured. pic.twitter.com/G9BTr8x0dl
— Maryland State Fire Marshal (@MarylandOSFM) August 10, 2020
The Baltimore Fire Department said it was still investigating the cause of the explosion, but the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) said its crews were working to turn off gas to nearby buildings.
“Once the gas is off, we can begin to safely assess the situation, including inspections of BGE equipment,” said the company.
Gas explosions are becoming increasingly common in Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reported. One natural gas explosion in August 2019 destroyed part of a shopping center in Columbia, Maryland.
Founded in 1816, BGE is the oldest gas provider in the United States. Nearly two dozen gas leaks are discovered every day on average, according to data BGE reports to the federal government.
Leslie Bonilla contributed to this story.