6 injured in Northwest Austin home explosion, 24 other houses damaged, authorities say
(This story was updated with new information.)
Two people were in critical condition and four others injured on Sunday after a home explosion rattled Northwest Austin, severely damaging homes in a residential area off U.S. 183 near McNeil Road.
Multiple emergency officials from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS responded to calls at 11:23 a.m. to the 10600 block of Double Spur Loop. They found a two-story home that appeared to have exploded and leveled to the ground as well as a neighboring house that had suffered severe damage and collapsed. There were spot fires in yards from the debris as well as a vehicle on fire at one of the homes.
The scene from above the 10600 block of Double Spur Loop in Northwest Austin after a late-morning explosion leveled one home and collapsed a neighboring home. Six people were injured.
Two people from the house that exploded were transported to the hospital by EMS; one was listed in critical condition and the other in serious but stable condition during a mid-afternoon press conference with police and fire officials.
Additionally, a person from the neighboring house that collapsed also was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition.
Three others, including two firefighters, were treated for minor injuries, said Travis County EMS spokesperson Shannon Koesterer.
Firefighters walk on rubble at the site of a home explosion on Double Spur Loop Sunday in North Austin. Officials said the explosion originated inside a recently constructed home and the cause is under investigation. Two residents of the home were taken to the hospital.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but is expected to be a fire investigation, not a criminal investigation, said Thayer Smith, an assistant chief with the Austin Fire Department. Neither of the homes had underground gas service, he said, though both homes did have propane tanks.
At least 24 homes in the neighborhood suffered damages, Smith added, mostly blown out windows and garage doors. The street was expected to be closed for the rest of the day, but power had been restored to the neighborhood.
The explosion was felt miles away as houses shook, window screens blew off and kitchen cabinets opened, neighbors said. The sound was also heard as far away as Georgetown, according to AFD.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: House explodes in Northwest Austin, police say
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