Eleven people, including children, were rushed to the hospital when a house in Syracuse collapsed following a possible gas explosion Tuesday afternoon that shook nearby homes, according to hospital and fire officials.
The two-story structure crumbled shortly after 4 p.m., sparking a massive search and rescue effort by more than 50 firefighters, Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds said during a press briefing.
When first responders reached the scene on Carbon Street, there was a strong odor of gas and a car that was underneath the rubble, Monds said.
“How that car got there, we’re unsure right now,” Monds said.
Two of the victims were in “very serious condition,” Monds said. The victims were a mix between adults and children, he added.
Upstate University Hospital was sent 11 victims, Darryl Geddes, a hospital spokesperson, told the Syracuse Post Standard.
The injured occupants of the home were likely being treated for crush and burn injuries, Monds said.
One victim was in the car and needed to be extricated.
As the evening dragged on, fire officials undertook a more methodical search after it appeared there was no one else stuck in the debris, District Chief Matt Craner said, according to the Post Standard.
While there were initial reports of between 17 and 20 people who lived in the house, officials were working off a list of 13 people who resided there and all were accounted for, Craner said.
Two neighbors told the newspaper their homes shook from an explosion.
“It’s a tragic situation,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said during a second briefing.
“This is a situation that I haven’t personally observed, certainly nothing to this extent in terms of an explosion or the number of victims, but again there’s still a lot that we need to learn,” he added.
