Maryland firefighters evacuate shopping centre less than an hour before huge gas explosion rips through building
- Official said blast was ‘so powerful it could be heard in communities many miles away’
A powerful natural gas explosion badly damaged a Maryland office complex and shopping centre Sunday morning, ripping away part of the facade and exposing twisted metal, authorities said.
No injuries were reported in the thundering blast, which occurred at about 8am. It came after authorities said they had evacuated the area around the complex because of a suspected early morning gas leak near the complex in Columbia, Maryland.
Fire crews responded about an hour before the explosion because of a fire alarm that was upgraded to a report of a gas leak in the car park, officials said. When fire personnel arrived, they immediately evacuated everyone from the surrounding area and made sure the building was vacant.
The subsequent explosion ripped away a significant part of the facade, scattering debris.
“It was so powerful it could be heard in communities many miles away,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball in a statement.
