Six people were rescued from the ruins of a Missouri home Saturday morning after a mysterious explosion wrecked the structure, according to police.
The Jefferson City Fire Department stated that all six people who were inside the residence when it exploded were brought to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, with moderate to severe injuries.
The agency stated that some of the six were treated on-site for smoke inhalation. Two of them were in such severe shape that they were airlifted to the University Hospital trauma center.
Eric Hoy, Cole County’s emergency medical services chief, said half of the patients required life-saving care.
“Three of them were in critical condition and required extensive life support procedures,” he told NBC station KOMU in Columbia.
Representatives from the hospital did not immediately reply to a request for an update on the patients Saturday night. Their genders and ages were unavailable.
According to the municipal fire department, first responders were dispatched to the home in a neighborhood along the Missouri River at 2:44 a.m. after receiving a report of an explosion at the residence. According to the report, they quickly realized that the house had collapsed.
Daylight footage of the property showed the structure twisted, damaged, and virtually flattened on snow-covered ground.
According to the report, the Jefferson City Fire Department’s special operations rescue squad was called in to assist with the extraction of casualties from the rubble.
“Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the extensive structural collapse and significant debris,” the fire department stated.
Jake Holee, Jefferson City Fire Department assistant chief and spokeswoman, said the agency was fortunate to have the necessary equipment on hand, as well as the assistance of 37 firefighters on the scene.
“We’re real thankful we have that equipment, and we spend the time training,” according to him.
According to the department, rescuers had to tunnel through numerous layers of wreckage to extract at least one of the six victims.
According to the department, it took more than three hours to extract all six and rescue two pets who had been turned over to animal control authorities.
The cause of the explosion was being investigated.
Jefferson, the state capital, is approximately 133 miles west of St. Louis.
Reference: 6 pulled from rubble alive after explosion mangles Missouri home, authorities say