Kansas City block afire after explosion

— A gas explosion that sparked a block-engulfing fire in an upscale Kansas City shopping district injured 14 people, a city official said Tuesday evening, adding that it is believed an accident by a utility contractor caused the blast.

City Manager Troy Schulte said he did not know of anyone being reported missing and had not heard of any fatalities.

Earlier Kansas City police had said the blast was caused by a car crashing into a gas main just after 6 p.m. Fire officials said later that they were not aware of a crash being involved in the blast. Other witnesses noted that street signs in the area indicated that utility work was being done there, and a worker at a restaurant destroyed in the fire said the restaurant was being renovated at the time.

Police Sgt. Tony Sanders said the manager of JJ’s restaurant couldn’t account for three people, but it was unclear whether they were caught in the blaze or had left earlier.

“The first thing we need to be concerned about is the people that are injured,” said Mayor Sly James, who praised the work of first responders. James said officials were in contact with Missouri Gas Energy.

The University of Kansas Hospital was treating five people injured in the blast, spokesman Bob Hallinan said. He said one person was in critical condition, two were in serious condition and two others were expected to be treatedand released. He said all the injuries were traumatic, such as broken bones, rather than burns.

Kerry O’Connor, a spokesman for St. Luke’s Hospital, which is near the scene of the fire, said several patients were on the way to the hospital. She said they hadn’t been assessed yet but “they appear to be critical at this time.”

Fire officials didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday evening.

A phone message left Tuesday seeking comment from Missouri Gas Energy was not immediately returned.

Jim Ligon, a bartender who has worked at JJ’s restaurant for five years, wasn’t working Tuesday night but said he started getting texts and calls from co-workers minutes after the explosion.

He said the accident happened during the peak of weekday happy hour, when there are typically 15-45 people in the bar area, as well as three to five tables of diners at the restaurant.

“JJ’s has a small staff, a family feel,” said Ligon, 45, of Kansas City, Mo. “You see the same 100 people all the time - a bar and restaurant for regulars. We’re just really hoping we come out of here OK in terms of injuries.”

The shopping area was established in 1922 by J.C. Nichols. Based on the architecture of Seville, Spain, it includes retail space, restaurants, apartments and offices.

Information for this article was contributed by Heather Hollingsworth and Jeff McMurray of The Associated Press.

Front Section, Pages 4 on 02/20/2013

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