A home explosion tore through a suburban neighborhood outside Cleveland, Ohio, destroying three houses and damaging more than a dozen others. According to ABC News, firefighters were among those injured, and authorities are still investigating what sparked the blast.
Officials said the blast, which happened Thursday afternoon, destroyed three homes and damaged more than a dozen others, some of them severely. Drone footage of the aftermath showed burned-out vehicles among the debris, which was still smoldering a day later.
Witnesses described the moment of the explosion as terrifying. One resident said the windows on the second floor of their home blew out, forcing them to flee with nothing but a phone. Another recounted that the house backing onto their property had suddenly blown up.
First responders had been called to the neighborhood on Thursday, and crews were in the process of evacuating residents when the explosion set off a chain reaction through the area.
In a statement, telecom infrastructure company Unity confirmed to ABC News that its subcontractor had been working in the area at the time of the blast. Officials said they were still investigating what ignited the explosion.
The destruction was not confined to a single street. Officials said there was damage on streets on either side, and in some cases two streets over. The concussion of the blast took out windows, siding, soffits, lights and doors, while garage doors were pushed in by the pressure.
Investigators urged residents to stay away from the damaged area as the cleanup continued. The cause of the blast remained under investigation, with officials working to determine what ignited the spark that triggered it.