3 South Philadelphia row homes have collapsed following an explosion.



 

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Street view of Philadelphia row home explosion
Street view of Philadelphia row home explosion (WCAU TV via Vine)
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3:00 p.m. -A baby was thrown from a window as the homes exploded. "They threw this baby out the window because the girl was on fire, and the fireman had to catch the baby," Mike McGraw Jr told KYW TV.

"There was a fella who was all burned up, the firemen were hosing him down with a hose," said witness McGraw told WPVI,  who saw that contractor shortly after the blast. "He was really in bad shape" with burns over 22% of his body.

1:45: WPVI reports one of the 8 injured include two small babies, a teenager and a contractor working on a hot water heater. The home at 428 Daly Street took the most damage; the homes to either side were heavily damaged.

All residents have been accounted for; 70 surrounding homes have also been evacuated

Previous Coverage

The collapse happened late Monday morning in the middle of a block of connected brick homes on Daly Street. The houses on either side of the destroyed home are still standing but it's unclear how badly they're damaged.

South Philadelphia row home collapse
South Philadelphia row home collapse (WPVI TV via Facebook)
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Police say witnesses report hearing an explosion before the collapse. A gas leak is being investigated by Philadelphia Gas Works.

The Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted that one of the homes that collapsed applied to the city in April to make major renovations.

 

The area is being evacuated and emergency crews are on the scene.



The Associated Press contributed to this story

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