On Friday night, a Virginia house in Sterling, a bustling area in the US state, exploded as firefighters were still inside. Officials state that the incident led to a Virginia firefighter's death, while 11 others were injured.
The injured party included nine other members of the fire crew and two civilians. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue personnel have reported that they were all hospitalised with injuries ranging from “limited to severe”.
About the Virginia house explosion
The fire crew came forward around 7:40 pm ET “for an investigation”. James Williams, the department's assistant chief of operations, confirmed that the squad members were inside the residence when the blast occurred.
{{/usCountry}}The fire crew came forward around 7:40 pm ET “for an investigation”. James Williams, the department's assistant chief of operations, confirmed that the squad members were inside the residence when the blast occurred.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: After Berlin, Ukraine's Zelensky signs French security pact amid Navalny shock
Recent photos and videos of the aftermath reveal several fire trucks and emergency vehicles at the scene beside the debris as smoke erupts from the house that went up in flames. The Sterling house blast has been labelled a “total devastation” as others tried their best to free the first responders trapped inside the wreckage.
Williams asked for support, calling it the “worst call” they could respond to. As the fire is under investigation, the cause of the blast is still unclear. The officials are also checking the scene to see if any neighbouring setups were damaged in the process. On the other hand, some reports also suggest a gas leak at play.
Shomari Stone, A Fox News representative, took to the roads to confirm the incident's repercussions with nearby residents, who claimed that the explosion shook their homes. Moreover, the CNN affiliate, WUSA 9, reported that another nearby resident, who was two blocks away from the point of the explosion, thought that the blast had occurred “right in his yard”, explaining the alarming magnitude of the accident.
A neighbour who spoke to ABC7 News described the blast as looking “like an inferno”; “something out of a war zone”. He even claimed to have smelled gas while walking his dog sometime before the explosion.