CHICAGO (CBS) — At least eight people were injured in an apartment building explosion Tuesday morning in the South Austin neighborhood.
A Chicago Fire Department spokesperson confirmed there was an explosion around 9 a.m. in a four-story apartment building at 5601 W. West End Ave.
A total of 10 ambulances were sent to the scene, and at least eight people have been transported to hospitals. Two males were taken to Loyola University Medical Center, one in serious to critical condition and one in fair to serious condition. A male and a female were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair to serious condition, and a male was taken to Mount Sinai in serious to critical condition. A female was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in fair to serious condition. Two males were taken to Stroger Hospital, one in serious to critical condition and the other in fair to serious condition.
Deputy Fire Commissioner Marc Ferman said one of the people who was injured was in a building across the street at the time.
The Fire Department had to bring in crews to shore up the building during a search of the building search, which remained underway as of 11:15 a.m. However, Ferman said officials believe everyone has gotten out of the building.
Chicago Fire Department video posted on Twitter shows a large amount of debris on the street outside the building. Chopper 2 also spotted debris on the roof of a building across the street.
One neighbor, Shannon Nelson, said she was lying in bed when she heard the explosion.
“My bed shook almost like an earthquake,” Nelson said.
CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl reported the debris pattern from the explosion has all the patterns of a natural gas explosion, and Nelson said smelled natural gas in the air after the explosion.
However, a Peoples Gas spokesperson said the cause of the explosion remains unknown, and “there is no reason at this point to believe the cause is related to gas or any of our equipment.”
Ferman said the official cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Peoples Gas has shut off natural gas service to the building.
According to the Fire Department, both the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Chicago Police Department Bomb Unit were on the scene to assist with the response and investigation.
The explosion happened on the top floor of the building on the eastern side of the structure, sending a large amount of bricks and other debris into the street, damaging at least three cars parked along the curb.
The roof of at least one unit in the building collapsed as a result of the explosion, and several windows in the building also were blown out.
In a statement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said her thoughts are with the people who were injured and displaced by the explosion.
“We must also thank the brave men and women of the Chicago Fire Department who are working to abate the dangerous conditions,” she said.
A total of 135 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.
The Chicago Department of Buildings also has responded to the scene.
Building inspection records show the building has failed its last 12 inspections since 2010, including citations in January 2017 and February 2018 for “failing to repair or replace defective or out of service smoke detectors and operate continuously.”
In a statement, building owner Roman Viere said, “This is a devastating event and we are heartbroken for all of our residents.”
“Our first concern is the health, well-being and safety of our residents. We are doing everything we can to cooperate with emergency services, and we are ready to do whatever we can to support our residents,” Viere added.
Ferman said it’s unclear exactly how many people have been left homeless.
