SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Preliminary investigations show more than 40 buildings were damaged in a natural-gas explosion in Massachusetts that injured 18 people, building inspectors said Saturday.
A strip club was flattened and a day-care center was heavily damaged in the explosion Friday night in Springfield, one of New England’s biggest cities.
No one was killed in the explosion.
Investigators were trying Saturday to figure out what caused the blast that could be heard for miles, left a large hole in the ground where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman’s Club once stood and scattered debris over several blocks.
Officials already had evacuated part of the entertainment district after responding to reports of a gas leak and odor about an hour before the explosion. Workers venting a gas leak got indications that the building was about to explode and they ducked for cover behind a utility truck - along with firefighters and police officers - just before the blast, said Mark McDonald, president of the New England Gas Workers Association.
Most of the injured were in that group, and the truck that saved their lives was essentially demolished, he said.
“It really is a miracle and it’s an example of our public safety officials, each and every day, putting themselves in harm’s way, taking what could have been considered a very routine call of an odor ofgas, but they took the proper precautions,” State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. “And thanks to God that they did.”
Officials also marveled how the 5:30 p.m. blast occurred when a day-care center next door was closed. The center’s building was heavily damaged.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno were attending a treelighting ceremony when the explosion occurred. Sarno said some people mistakenly thought the boom was part of the holiday event.
The explosion blew out windows in a three-block radius, leaving at least three buildings irreparably damaged and causing emergency workers to evacuate a six-story apartment building that was buckling, police said. Pieces of broken glass littered streets and sidewalks. It was unclear how many residents had been evacuated. A shelter was setup at a school, but city officials said no one stayed there overnight.
Authorities cordoned off the center of the explosion Saturday as building inspectors worked to identify unsafe structures. Anxious residents gathered at the perimeter, waiting for permission to visit their buildings.
Preliminary reports show the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units, said Thomas Walsh, spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.
Information for this article was contributed by Rodrique Ngowi, Bridget Murphy, Bob Salsberg and Jessica Hill of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 11/25/2012