Thirteen people were treated in hospital after a home collapsed in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday, and investigators are investigating whether a gas explosion was the cause.
Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds told reporters at the scene that more than 50 firefighters responded to the scene after multiple 911 calls reporting what sounded like an explosion at about 4 p.m. inside the two-story home.
When emergency responders arrived, most of the victims were found in the front yard of the home at 205 Carbon Street, but at least one young man had to be extricated from a car buried under rubble, the Associated Press reported.
Of the 13 people taken to hospitals, at least 11 were admitted for “further treatment,” according to a statement from the Syracuse Fire Department to Fox News Digital. The victims ranged in age from 8 months to 42 years old.
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Emergency crews work at the scene after a home collapsed in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday afternoon, June 18, 2024. (Charlie Miller/The Post-Standard via The Associated Press)
In addition to the residents who rented the building, a visiting family was injured in the collapse. A list of the injured provided by the fire department included two fathers, two mothers and nine children. The condition of three of the children remains critical, the fire department said.
Monds said police and fire officials would investigate what caused the collapse of the home, which was built in 1920. He noted that firefighters who responded to the scene also encountered downed power lines and a strong smell of natural gas.
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Firefighters arrive at the scene of a house explosion in Syracuse, New York, on June 18, 2024. (Charlie Miller/The Post-Standard via The Associated Press)
Search and rescue teams spent hours at the scene trying to determine whether anyone else was trapped under the rubble.
Mayor Ben Walsh Local TV station WSYR There were no apparent code violations at the home and investigators are questioning the homeowner, police said.
Fire officials said 13 people were inside the home at the time of the explosion. (WTVH)
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The home will be demolished after an investigation is completed and National Grid shuts off the gas line to the home, Walsh said, according to CBS News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
