One firefighter has been killed and 9 others had been injured after an explosion in a home the place they had been investigating a fuel leak, US officers say.
Two civilians had been additionally injured within the blast, which occurred in Sterling, Virginia, at round 8pm native time on Friday (1am on Saturday UK time).
The fiery explosion occurred about half-hour after hearth crews had been referred to as to the property as a result of stories of a fuel scent.
It occurred whereas firefighters had been contained in the constructing, James Williams, assistant chief of operations for Loudon County Fire and Rescue, mentioned at a information convention.
“Soon after arrival, with firefighters inside, the house did explode,” Mr Williams mentioned.
He added the 9 firefighters and two civilians who had been injured had been taken to hospital with accidents starting from “limited to severe”.
“We have all firefighters out of the building. The fire will continue to smoulder,” Mr Williams mentioned.
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He described injury to the house as “total devastation”, including: “There’s a debris field well into the street and into the neighbouring homes.”
Mr Williams mentioned the reason for the hearth was underneath investigation.
The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company mentioned in a put up on X that its crews had responded to a report of a fuel leak earlier than the blast.
A neighbour, John Padgett, informed ABC7 News he had smelled fuel whereas strolling his canine earlier.
The blast shook his residence, he mentioned.
“It looked like an inferno. It was horrific; it looked like something out of a war zone.”
Source: information.sky.com”