A thunderous explosion injured five people — one critically — and destroyed at least two homes just hours into 2023. The huge blast, which tore through a US neighbourhood, appeared to be from a gas leak, fire officials said. The eruption blew out windows and doors and sent cars flying — on top of the two wiped-out homes.
Two people were pulled from the rubble and three others were treated at the scene in Philadelphia before being taken to the hospital, the city’s fire department said.
“We had multiple gas leaks in the area, and the smell of gas coming from multiple areas,” Philadelphia Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker told Fox 29.
Five people were taken to the hospital with one man in critical condition after the blast at 2.30am on New Year’s Day.
One woman from the neighbourhood – in the Port Richmond area of the city – likened the explosion to a bomb going off.
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The blast comes weeks after multiple people were injured in an explosion at a plant in Iowa.
It was not clear what caused the explosion.
No fatalities were reported following the incident at a facility in Marengo, Iowa.
All 30 people who were in the building at the time have also been accounted for, police said.
