Aerial footage shows destruction from house explosion
Raw video: One victim taken to hospital after explosion in St. Paul, Minnesota destroys home and forces eight people to be displaced.
At least one person was hospitalized after a house in St. Paul, Minnesota, exploded Friday morning, officials said.
The explosion, which occurred around 8:30 a.m., leveled the home and caused damage to nearby property, KMSP-TV reported.
One male, reportedly in his mid-60s, was inside the house at the time of the explosion. While his condition is unknown, he was conscious when transported to the hospital, Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Simpson told reporters Friday morning. He said officials believe he was the only person home at the time.
Eleven people have been displaced due to damage to their homes, WCCO-TV reported. While an official cause has not been released, St. Paul Fire Department said it has "95 percent certainty" it was caused by a natural gas line, according to WCCO.
Photos show debris strewn across lawns and into the street. Some of the wreckage could be spotted in trees as high as 20 or 30 feet in the air, the Star Tribune reported.
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Neighbors who were home at the time told WCCO-TV reporter Christiane Cordero the blast was so loud it felt like somebody was “kicking” their own homes. She pointed to one house “a good 200 yards or so” away with its windows blown out from the explosion.
Jerry Schaefer was at his nearby floral shop, Jerry’s Roses, when the explosion occurred, he told the Star Tribune. He said the blast knocked items off his shelves, and he saw flames shoot as high as 50 feet skyward.
“It was like a scene out of a move,” Schaefer told the newspaper. “It was crazy to see.”
Firefighters were also reportedly able to rescue a cat and dog from the destroyed home.
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