PHILADELPHIA, PA – An explosion in Philadelphia early Sunday destroyed three homes and damaged more than 40 others, but there were no fatalities, officials said.
The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to the explosion on the 3500 block of Miller Street in the Port Richmond neighborhood at around 2:50 a.m. on Sunday. More than 100 personnel arrived on the scene, the department said.
Photos shared by the city show multiple leveled homes, with widespread damage to the surrounding structures and debris strewn across the block. Firefighters can be seen digging through the rubble.
According to fire officials, five people were transported to hospitals with injuries, one of whom was critically injured.
Philadelphia Gas Works also responded to the scene and shut off gas service to the area. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though fire officials believe it was a gas leak.
PGW said in a statement Sunday that it was “not aware of any recent calls from the area reporting gas odors prior to the incident.”
According to a statement from the city, if the cause is confirmed to be a gas leak, PGW will handle damage claims from affected residents.
Source: TMX
