This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene of a devastating explosion at a South Florida strip mall on Saturday, where 21 people were injured, with two in critical condition.
The blast occurred around 11:30 a.m. in a strip mall in Plantation, about 30 miles north of Miami, and officials initially suspected a gas leak as the possible cause.
However, Joel Gordon, deputy chief of the Plantation Fire Department, later stated, “At this point we do not have a cause.”
Witnesses described widespread damage to the retail center, which housed an LA Fitness gym and several restaurants. Cherie Jacobs, a spokeswoman for TECO Peoples Gas, said the company was working with fire officials to investigate the cause of the explosion.
Ms. Jacobs added, “I don’t know that there was a leak,” and stated that the company’s first priority was ensuring the area was safe, with gas services shut off.
Thirteen patients were taken to Westside Regional Medical Center, where 12 were in good condition and one was in serious condition.
LA Fitness member Daniel Hubert, 20, was working out when the explosion occurred, describing the scene as “a lot of chaos” with the ceiling falling and weights shaking.
Mr. Hubert estimated that around 300 people fled the scene, with police directing everyone to vacate the premises.
Another witness, Jack Decker, 40, felt the blast from his kitchen, about 750 feet away, describing it as a “really loud boom” that shook the ground.
