One person still missing after explosion rocks Bay Area apartments

An explosion in an apartment building in the Bay Area city of Walnut Creek on Friday morning injured at least two people and left a gaping hole in the complex, fire officials said.

At least one other occupant of the apartment building remained unaccounted for as of Friday afternoon. But the building was partially collapsed, making it too dangerous for firefighters to enter and search.

“It is pretty significant,” fire Capt. Kent Kirby said.

Few details about the explosion, reported just before 10:20 a.m., were available as crews battled flames that ripped through the building, which houses four apartment units, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

The explosion was powerful enough to shatter the windows of several nearby buildings, officials said.

Photographs posted on the fire agency’s Twitter account showed a portion of the building’s second floor destroyed by the blast. Rubble from the explosion appeared to be strewn on sidewalks and patches of grass.

The two injured victims suffered burns and are in critical condition, Kirby said. A third victim suffered minor injuries, but refused to be transported to an area hospital.

The cause of the explosion remained under investigation.

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