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U.S. NEWS Monday 8 July 2019

21 hurt in shopping plaza blast: Gas lines found ruptured

By TERRY SPENCER seen picking through the
Associated Press rubble with dogs sniff-
PLANTATION, Fla. (AP) — A ing through the debris to
vacant pizza restaurant ex- make sure people weren’t
ploded Saturday in a thun- trapped underneath. There
dering roar at a South Flori- were no known fatalities
da shopping plaza, injuring immediately after the ex-
more than 20 people as plosion.
large chunks of concrete Fire department Battalion
flew through the air. Chief Joel Gordon said
The blast flung debris there were ruptured gas
widely along a busy road lines when firefighters ar-
in Plantation, west of Fort rived, but he couldn’t say
Lauderdale. The restau- for certain that it was a gas
rant was destroyed, and explosion.
nearby businesses and cars “At this point, nobody was
were damaged. Though killed. Thank goodness for
firefighters found ruptured that. As bad as it is, it could
gas lines afterward, author- have been a lot worse,”
ities said it was too early to Gordon said.q
determine a cause. A police officer guards the
“We thought it was thunder area after an explosion on
at first, and then we felt the Saturday, July 6, 2019, in
building shake and things Plantation, Fla.
Associated Press
started falling. I looked out-
side and it was almost like out the windows of a popu-
the world was ending,” lar fitness club next door at
said Alex Carver, a worker the shopping plaza in Bro-
at a deli across the street ward County.
from the explosion. Jesse Walaschek had just
“It was nuts, man. It was left the fitness club with his
crazy.” wife and three children,
The explosion hurled large ages 4, 6 and 8. They were
pieces of concrete up to parked near the restaurant
50 yards (45 meters) away and had just driven about
and sent pieces of metal 50 yards (45 meters) away
scattering as far as 100 when they heard the blast.
yards (90 meters) across “It was a massive explosion
the street. like I have never experi-
Carver said two of his co- enced,” he said.
workers’ cars were de- Walaschek said dust and
stroyed. debris filled the air.
At least 21 people were in- “Everything just stopped.
jured though none of the You didn’t see anybody.
injuries was life-threatening, I just wanted to get these
Police Sgt. Jessica Ryan guys safe,” he said, point-
said. ing to his children.
The explosion demolished “If this had happened a
the building, leaving be- minute before when we
hind only part of its metal were getting the kids in the
frame. The restaurant, car, it would have been re-
called PizzaFire, had been ally bad.”
out of business for several Dozens of firefighters re-
months. The blast also blew sponded and could be