May 20--An explosion rocked a three-story apartment building Thursday morning in unincorporated Cook County near Des Plaines Thursday morning, causing minor injuries to two people and leaving the building unihabitable, according to officials.
Firefighters and medical responders were dispatched at 9:15 a.m. to an apartment in the 9900 block Linda Lane, northeast of the Tri-State Tollway and West Golf Road, where the blast decimated one side of the building's brick walls, according to the North Maine Fire Protection District.
Early in the day, a North Maine fire lieutenant reported the incident as a gas explosion. However, District Fire Chief Michael Bronk said Thursday afternoon the incident was still being investigated.
Two people suffered minor injuries, Bronk said. Both were treated at the scene and released, he said.
The explosion left the damaged apartment building uninhabitable and prompted the evacuation of about 30 residences in the area, according to Sophia Ansari, spokeswoman for Cook County Sheriff's Office. American Red Cross workers were assisting displaced residents of the apartment building, Ansari said.
Nicor Gas and ComEd crews were working with first responders to investigate the nature of the explosion, Bronk said.
Niles and Des Plaines fire departments also responded to the explosion.
No other details were available.
tbriscoe@tribpub.com
