Explosive Geysers Rip Through Town

A series of explosions and random geysers of underground gas has seriously injured two people in Hutchinson, leveled two downtown shops and one home, and forced the evacuation of hundreds of houses. Kansas officials declared Hutchinson a disaster area, and authorities said they suspected a leaking underground gas storage area. An explosion Wednesday rocked two adjacent downtown shops, triggering a raging fire that damaged 26 businesses and knocked out power for four blocks. Several geysers containing natural gas began spurting up.