At least eight people were injured after an explosion ripped through a residential building in Chicago on Tuesday (local time), according to local fire department authorities.
Chicago Fire Department confirmed the explosion at 9:45 am (local time) and tweeted pictures which showed that the top floor of the four-story brick apartment building on the city’s West Side almost completely destroyed by the blast. The department said that the blast occurred near Washington Boulevard and Central Avenue.
“Background on explosion. This is a four-story apartment building. With 35 units. Investigation underway into cause by CFD OFI. Assisted by ATF and CPD. Looking at 4th Floor as possible source,” Chicago Fire Department said in a tweet.
Fire officials said that a building adjacent to the site of the explosion was being evacuated. Deputy Fire Commissioner Marc Ferman told reporters during a midday briefing that first responders have completed primary and secondary searches of the building after the explosion. “Right now we feel like we’re confident we got everybody out,” Ferman said. The fourth floor of the building had collapsed and was “compromised,” he said, as per reports.
