An explosion and fire in Minneapolis has injured 14 people and destroyed an apartment building and grocery store. The explosion happened around 8:00 in the morning, a time when many people were still sleeping.
Witnesses reported seeing several people jumping or falling out of windows on the second floor of the building. Officials are still trying to determine if everyone made it out of the building safely and are not sure how many people were inside when the fire broke out.
Firefighters and witnesses reported that the flames were rising high above the building.
“Upon arrival, crews made entry into the first floor of this structure,” Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel said. “Conditions became untenable very quickly, with major fires coming out of the second and third floors. Crews had to back out and go into defensive position outside of the building, applying water.”
Over 50 firefighters arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire. The cold temperatures caused the water from the hoses to freeze and many of the firefighters slipped and fell, but none of them were injured.
Of the 14 people injured, six of them were reported to be in critical condition. The Salvation Army and the local Brian Coyle Center are working with victims and helping them get the food, shelter, and personal items that they need.
Image via Wikimedia Commons.