12 Injured in Apartment Building Explosion
A horrific scene unfolded early Monday morning in Detroit, MI, after an apartment building explosion injured 12 people, including six children.
According to the Detroit Free-Press, the blast rocked the neighborhood at approximately 4 a.m., triggering panic. Reports say that when rescue crews arrived to the scene they noticed some residents trying to jump out of second-story windows. Fortunately, those residents were safely rescued.
The blast at the 12-unit apartment building located on the city's westside shattered windows and ripped away bricks. Among the injured include two adults -- a 30-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman -- and a 3-year-old child who are hospitalized in critical condition and are said to be fighting for their lives with severe burns.
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Fire officials told the Free-Press that the injuries could have been far worse if not for the fast-acting rescue crews. At this point it's unclear what led to the blast, but a gas leak is a growing speculation.
#BREAKING ???? Chaos on Detroit’s west side—an explosion and fire ripped through an apartment complex on Littlefield Street near Schoolcraft early this morning. Twelve people rescued—six adults, six kids. A 27-year-old woman and a 3-year-old are fighting for their lives with burns,… pic.twitter.com/sOfeTJ665Y
— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) March 31, 2025
All residents have been accounted for thanks to thermal imaging from drones.
As far as the building is concerned, demolition crews are trying to stabilize the structure but officials say that what's left of the building will need to be demolished.
Just got jarred awake with this emergency alert that there was a possible explosion at 13910 Littlefield in Detroit. What is one meant to do with this information?? #Explosion pic.twitter.com/SAIXcDBfUl
— Laura Herberg (@HerbergRadio) March 31, 2025
Complicating matters was a Wireless Emergency Alert that went out to phones at around 6 a.m. throughout the metro Detroit area. The alert was issued for dangerous weather, missing children and other disaster situations. The alert, however, was only supposed to be go out to phones at nearby neighborhoods.
Reports say families in the suburbs woken up by the alert are upset about receiving an alert that didn't pertain to them.