East-side Flint MI house explodes
The explosion happened just before 10 a.m. in the 1500 Block of New York Avenue and Iowa Avenue.
It was quite a scene early on when many people in the neighborhood were shaken by the explosion that leveled the house and damaged others.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but people that live in the area say there was a strong smell of natural gas coming from the neighborhood Monday.
The house was vacant. At least three people received non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a local hospital.
Residents described the sound they heard as a loud boom. Some say they even felt the ground underneath them shake.
When residents came from their homes, they saw half a house.
"I saw half a house in the street," said William Smith.
Fire crews were dousing the flames where a home at 1549 New York Avenue once stood. Pastor Raymoundo Vasquez lives about a block from where the explosion happened.
"I heard the explosion and I didn't know what it was," he said. "I was going out to my van and I felt the ground literally shake. I thought it was an earthquake."
"There were all kinds of people everywhere," Smith said. "There were some fire and some police here already. When I got here it was chaos."
Glass, wood, and debris was scattered across lawns in the neighborhood. Three people in nearby homes suffered injuries and were rushed to the hospital.
Kevin Schafer prayed with one of the victims.
"She was on the ground and she was complaining about her head," he said. "Something came through the window and hit her in the head."
The damage from this one explosion was so great that it destroyed parts of two neighboring homes -- homes that the owners say are now unstable. They will have to be torn down.
The Red Cross was on hand to assist the families whose homes were damaged by the explosion.
Neighbors have been stopping by their homes to try and clean up and board up what they can around the house.
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Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: Studio1714
Length: 07:41
Rating: 4.44
Views: 3972
Tags: East-side explodes Flint house MI
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