Crews are meticulously combing through the debris of a devastating apartment explosion and fire in Dallas, searching for additional victims as the death toll stands at three. The blast, which occurred Thursday afternoon, leveled a two-story complex in the Oak Cliff neighborhood, sending a towering plume of black smoke visible for miles.
Ongoing Search and Investigation
Authorities are continuing their search Friday for more potential victims of the explosion and massive fire that destroyed the building. Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans confirmed that a child and two other people were killed, with at least five others injured and hospitalized. The total number of residents in the complex remains unclear.
The area surrounding the explosion site remains cordoned off by police cars and tape. Law enforcement officials and workers in bright yellow vests can be seen among the rubble, with the acrid smell of fire still lingering. Investigators are carefully sifting through the charred wreckage, maintaining a security perimeter of several blocks. Multiple fire trucks and police vehicles remain on the scene.
NTSB Involvement and Gas Leak Reports
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Friday it is sending a team to investigate the incident. The agency typically probes gas pipeline accidents but has not yet provided further details. Evans noted that more victims could be discovered as crews work through the remains, with less than half of the scene searched by hand by late Thursday, and some areas requiring excavation.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry stated that firefighters were responding to a report of a gas leak when the explosion occurred. “We had the cavalry coming,” Berry said. “But the explosion had already taken place.”
Atmos Energy Statement
Atmos Energy, the natural gas provider, reported that fire officials informed them a construction crew unrelated to the company had damaged a pipeline near the fire site. The company did not elaborate but confirmed natural gas service to the area remains shut off, and officials are cooperating with investigators on-site.
Witness Accounts and Community Response
Sherry Woods, a resident of a nearby apartment, described smelling gas moments before the explosion nearly knocked her down. “All you heard was ‘boom.’ I shook like something was hitting me. It was scary to hear something like that. I felt the building shake,” Woods recounted.
A family reunification center was established at a nearby high school. Frances Rizo was still searching for her friend who lived in the building hours after the blaze, saying, “She’s not answering her phone.” Trish Thompson, another local resident, surveyed the site Friday morning, seeing the gap where the apartment complex once stood. She described hearing a “loud rumble, something more like a train to me” and seeing smoke and fire, urging others to “pray for them.”
The Associated Press reached out to Dallas Fire-Rescue for updates on fatalities and the number of missing persons. The investigation is ongoing.
