Six people were recovered alive from a home explosion that rocked a neighborhood in Missouri early Saturday morning, leaving three in critical condition, authorities said.
All six people were inside the home near the Missouri River in Jefferson City, Mo. when it blew up at 2:44 a.m., according to a news release from the Jefferson City Fire Department.
By the time emergency personnel arrived, the home had practically collapsed, and debris had been strewn everywhere. One wall of the home had been blown clean off, while the rest just barely stood tilted on an angle, photos show.
The JCFD initially treated the explosion as a mass casualty event given the severity, and were miraculously able to extract all of the injured with no reported fatalities. Three of the victims were in critical condition, and two were transported to Jefferson City Airport and flown to University Hospital in Columbia, Mo., according to the news release.
The six injured all required critical care intervention, according to the release. They were all safely recovered by 5:52 a.m., just over three hours after the home exploded.
“Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the extensive structural collapse and significant debris,” the fire department said in its statement.
In total, there were 37 fire and EMS personnel, nine advanced support ambulances, one excavator, and three medical helicopters that aided in the rescue.
“We’re real thankful we have that equipment, and we spend the time training,” Jake Holee, Jefferson City Fire Department assistant chief and spokesperson, told KOMU.
The final person to be rescued from the remains was buried beneath multiple layers of debris, forcing response teams to tunnel through to extract them, according to the release.
a house explosion in Jefferson City, Missouri. Jefferson City Fire Dept.
Two pets were also safely retrieved from the rubble and are in the care of local animal control.
The genders and ages of the injured were not reported.
The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation.