One dead, four rescued after gas explosion levels Baltimore homes

A fourth house in the row was ripped open, and windows were shattered in nearby homes, leaving the neighborhood strewn with debris and glass

A natural gas explosion destroyed three row houses in Baltimore on Monday, killing a woman and trapping other people in the wreckage. At least four people were hospitalized with serious injuries as firefighters searched for more survivors.

Dozens of firefighters converged on the piles of rubble. A fourth house in the row was ripped open, and windows were shattered in nearby homes, leaving the neighborhood strewn with debris and glass. It’s a disaster. It’s a mess. It’s unbelievable, said Diane Glover, who lives across the street. The explosion shattered her windows and blew open her front door, bending the frame. I’m still shaken up, she said hours later.

Four of the homes’ occupants were taken to hospitals in serious condition, while an adult woman was pronounced dead at the scene, a fire spokeswoman said. Rescuers were painstakingly going through the wreckage by hand. About two hours after the explosion, a line of firefighters removed a person on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Baltimore Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Adams said at least five people were inside, maybe more, when the homes exploded…Read More