At least one person was killed and two were injured after an explosion from an overnight fire caused several Philadelphia rowhomes to collapse early Sunday, according to reports.
Crews responded to a call for a fire in the city’s Nicetown section just before 5 a.m., and found three rowhomes had completely collapsed, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker confirmed that a body was recovered from the scene by a K9 who was helping to search through the rubble.
“Just before 5 a.m., we responded to an explosion on Bristol St. in Nicetown. This became an all-hands response. There are 2 reported injuries and, sadly, one reported fatality. Placed under control @6:33,” the Philadelphia Fire Department wrote on X.
Crews are working to ensure additional homes don’t collapse, authorities said.
Two women, an 82-year-old and a 63-year-old, were taken to the hospital with injuries. One was suffering from smoke inhalation and the other sustained burns in the fire, authorities said.
Fire officials told NBC that one of the victims was listed in critical condition while the other was stable.
Neighbors said the collapse may have been the result of an explosion, as many reported hearing a loud bang when the incident occurred. However, authorities are still investigating what the sound was, and whether it was an explosion or something collapsing due to the fire.
“We don’t know what caused the loud sound,” Walker, the assistant fire chief, said.
One resident told CBS News she woke to a “big bang” and thought her husband fell off the bed.
“And then I had to come to the window and look out, and I seen people walking up and down the street,” she said. “And then I came downstairs and my door was all blown open and there was glass everywhere on my floor.”
Neighbors from blocks away felt their homes shake as the rowhomes collapsed, while other residents reported a noise that sounded like thunder.
Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the collapse.
Ten people who live in the area were ordered to evacuate, authorities said.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
