SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — A natural-gas explosion in one of New England’s biggest cities Friday leveled a strip club and heavily damaged a dozen other buildings but didn’t kill anyone, authorities said.

Firefighters, police officers and gas company workers already in the area because of a report of a gas leak and gas odor were among the 18 people injured in the blast, authorities said.

“This is a miracle on Worthington Street that no one was killed,” Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said at a news conference.

The explosion in a downtown area of Springfield, 90 miles west of Boston, blew out all windows in a three-block radius, leaving three buildings irreparably damaged and prompting emergency workers to evacuate a six-story apartment building that was buckling, police said.

Police Sgt. John Delaney marveled at the destruction at the blast’s epicenter, where a multistory building housing a Scores Gentleman’s Club was leveled.

“It looks like there was a missile strike here,” he said.

The victims were taken to two hospitals in the city. None of their injuries was considered life-threatening.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 11/24/2012