Amazingly no one died in this morning's explosion on Long Island, New York, but 21 people were taken to hospital for evaluation.
The blast, which happened at 10.40am in Brentwood, Suffolk County, was most likely caused by a ruptured gas pipe, but investigators have not ruled out arson, according to the New York Post.
© Paul MazzaRocked: Amazingly no one died in this morning's explosion on Long Island, New York, but 21 people were taken to hospital for evaluation
© Associated Press
The force of the explosion was strong enough to knock pictures off walls in houses blocks away.
'I was in bed and it felt like an earthquake. I thought a plane hit the house,' Mushin Kiryaman, a neighbour who lives across the street and was home with his wife and children, told the Post.
'All the shelves and windows in my house broke and collapsed. We were lucky we were sleeping or we would have been hurt badly.'
© Paul MazzaForce: The explosion blew out the windows of neighbouring homes and was strong enough to knock pictures off walls in houses blocks away
© Paul MazzaDamage: Neighbour Mushin Kiryaman said he had been in bed when the explosion happened and thought a plane had hit the house
Police apparently turned off all gas and electric services within a one-block radius, while they investigate the cause of the blast.
Land records show the house, worth around $327,600, was most recently owned by Heriberto and Donna Soto.
© Paul MazzaDebris: The blast sent shoes and bedding flying into nearby trees as timbre was scattered all over the ground
Some 100 fire fighters from surrounding communities responded to the explosion.
These residential area explosions in the US seem to be becoming commonplace. A sign of Earth movements and outgassing or arson?!?!
"Neighbours said they heard a loud explosion just before the home went up in flames.
Vancouver Fire Captain Chris Moen told the Portland Oregonian that investigators are still looking for the cause of the fire and cannot yet rule out arson."