Multiple government agencies, including the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), are currently investigating an explosion that took place on Saturday in Plantation, Florida, a small town in Broward County. At least 23 people were injured during the explosion that took place at a former pizza location inside a shopping center, the Sun Sentinel reported. Two people sustained serious injuries, one of which was transported to a to a level I trauma facility, the Miami Herald reported.
This Sunday morning, officials from numerous agencies, including ATF, collaborate and comb through the destruction left behind in the Plantation shopping center explosion.
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) July 7, 2019
Latest details: https://t.co/moIenH9DGP pic.twitter.com/UERO8nbGag
Authorities suspect a gas leak is responsible for the explosion. Firefights searched for the former pizza place to see if anyone was hurt or trapped but no one was there. Businesses directly next door to the vacant pizza shop were immediately destroyed.
The explosion was so massive that it blew out windows and caused massive damage to a nearby LA Fitness.
According to Plantation Fire Deputy Chief Joel Gordon, it was a miracle no one was killed, especially on a holiday weekend.
A nearby business, called Code Ninjas, teaches children how to code for video games and is typically packed with kids on Saturdays. They were closed because of the 4th of July weekend, which ended up being a blessing in disguise.
“As bad as it is, it could have been a lot worse," Gordon said.
#BREAKING: Massive explosion at the Fountains in Plantation. This video was sent to me by my own cousin who was inside @LAFitness when it happened. The explosion was across the street, and it still caused this much damage at the gym. He’s ok. @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/kdpg589EGa
— Liane Morejon WPLG (@LianeWPLG) July 6, 2019
Screenshots from footage shared on Snapchat after a gas explosion in Plantation, Florida. pic.twitter.com/TBOqybdQcC
— David Mack (@davidmackau) July 6, 2019
DEVELOPING: Police and fire crews are responding to an explosion with "multiple patients" at a shopping center in Florida, officials said Saturday. https://t.co/XpM9jxGPcy pic.twitter.com/irj1FSEOGY
— ABC News (@ABC) July 6, 2019
Check out this video from a restaurant worker right next to the #explosion in #Plantation.
— Andrew Dymburt (@DymburtNews) July 6, 2019
This employee tells me everyone in his restaurant made it out ok and are now at the family reunification center at Central Park in Plantation @wsvn pic.twitter.com/pAfBl6bIfi
James Morrison, a person inside the LA Fitness, said he thought the explosion actually took place inside the gym. It wasn't until he got outside the building that he realized that wasn't the case.
A witness who was in the L.A. Fitness describes his experience after a massive explosion at Plantation's The Fountains shopping center.
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) July 6, 2019
Details: https://t.co/5NsoTMjoYr pic.twitter.com/feouPAuPLf
A formal determination as to what happened is still underway.
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