A natural gas explosion in Portland, Oregon, damaged buildings and injured eight people Wednesday morning, including three firefighters and two police officers.
The explosion happened in a trendy shopping area with stores and restaurants around 9 a.m. after construction workers severed a natural gas line, causing a leak, a NW Natural spokesman told KPTV. The ignition source is still unknown.
Portland Bagelworks and Dosha Salon Spa were destroyed in the explosion, but employees and customers were able to safely evacuate along with the spa’s owner, who lives in an apartment above the spa.
A large plume of black smoke could be seen for miles after the explosion, which caused a nearby day care center and magnet school to be evacuated. A few students at nearby Chapman Elementary School reported feeling sick, KPTV said, but the students were treated at the school and it was not evacuated.
The construction crew was working on a project for Restoration Hardware when they realized they struck a gas line around 8:45 am. They ran into Portland Bagelworks and informed them of the gas leak, Oregon Live reported. Bagelworks owner Rick Bartel evacuated the shop and called NW Natural, which then dispatched employees to assess the leak and evacuated several blocks before the explosion took place.
Two firefighters suffered broken legs due to the explosion and a few people were injured by shrapnel. None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to KPTV.
Eyewitness reports stated police officers may have still been in the process of evacuating people when the explosion took place, Oregon Live reported.
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