Investigators are trying to determine what caused a house to explode in Connecticut, injuring seven people, including four children, and sending debris flying.
Police, fire and rescue crews responded to the home in Vernon on Thursday afternoon. Three of the victims were outside when rescuers arrived, while the other four were trapped in the rubble. Crews dug through what was left of the house to pull them to safety.
"Those four people have been rescued with varying degrees of injury," said Vernon police Lt. William Meier.
Four children, all under the age of 16, were among the victims. They were taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center, where one was treated and released. The other three remained hospitalized early Friday morning, but none had life-threatening injuries, said Dr. Brendan Campbell, head of the hospital's trauma unit.
A 7-year-old boy appeared to suffer the most serious injuries, according to police. Two adults were taken to Hartford Hospital. Another adult at the scene refused medical treatment.
The blast blew the front door of the home across the street and into a neighbor's yard. Glass and other debris littered the roadway. "I never heard anything like it. It wasn't just a vibration. The house shook," neighbor Alan Fisher told the Hartford Courant.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy visited the scene late Thursday to meet with emergency management officials. He said he would continue to monitor the situation closely.
At 4h30 pm yesterday after-noon a huge explosion rocked a Mississauga neighborhood, leveling at least one house, killing one person and injuring others. Debris are scattered across the neighborhood and windows are shattered from the first floors of a nearby highrise all the way to the higher floors, likely due to shock wave. An impressively number of agencies responded to what is now considered as an un-explained tragedy and the Mayor of Mississauga Bonnie Crombie and Peel Regional Police chief Jennifer Evans were at the scene commenting on these tragic events. Among the agencies are Peel Paramedics, Toronto Paramedics, Peel Regional Police, Mississauga Fire, Heavy Urban Search & Rescue and Enbridge. Multiple residents living in the area of the blast were taken care of by crews and police officers helped carrying the high number of victims and elderly residents. Mass casualty vehicles were dispatched from Toronto to help out in the chaotic scene. One female was declared dead on scene following the blast. A number of other victims were attended by paramedics. PRP officers are currently blocking Dixie Rd both ways between Eastgate Pkwy and Burnhamthorpe Rd to let the numerous emergency vehicles come and go. At the scene, an elevated view shows the level of destruction and shows that more than one house were obliterated. A number of other houses were also heavily damaged by the explosion and debris flew before falling and resting on rooftops. Police officers and other emergency crews wore masks because of the nature of the smoke rising from the debris that was likely toxic. The opening shot shows an elevated view of the scene and was filmed from inside one of the apartment that was damaged at the time of the explosion in the nearby residential tower. Damage can be seen as broken glass and a window frame lays loose. Hours after the the blast emergency crews escorted residents inside their home to recover pets and personal belongings. At least 50 homes were evacuated and some people took advantage of facilities set up at a community center in the area of Burnhamthorpe Rd and Dixie Rd.
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