The authorities reported that six individuals were rescued alive from the debris of a Missouri home following an unexplained explosion that severely damaged the structure on Saturday morning.
According to a statement from the Jefferson City Fire Department, all six individuals who were reportedly inside the home at the time of the explosion were transported to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, suffering from moderate to severe injuries.
The department reported that some of the six received treatment on-site for smoke inhalation. Two individuals were in critical condition and were airlifted to the trauma center at University Hospital for urgent care.
Eric Hoy, the chief of emergency medical services for Cole County, reported that half of the patients needed lifesaving care.
“Three of them were in critical condition and required extensive life support procedures,” he told NBC affiliate KOMU of Columbia.
The hospital’s representatives have yet to reply to a request for an update on the patients as of Saturday night. Information regarding their genders and ages is not available.
Emergency services arrived at a house in a neighborhood close to the Missouri River following a report of an explosion at 2:44 a.m., as stated by the city’s fire department. The report indicated that the house had fallen down.
Daylight footage showed the residence as twisted and mangled, with parts nearly flattened on the snow-covered ground.
The special operations rescue team from the Jefferson City Fire Department was called in to assist in retrieving victims from the debris, according to reports.
“Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the extensive structural collapse and significant debris,” the fire department said in its statement.
Jake Holee, assistant chief and spokesperson for the Jefferson City Fire Department, expressed gratitude for having the appropriate equipment available and the support of 37 personnel on-site.
“We’re real thankful we have that equipment, and we spend the time training,” he told KOMU.
Rescuers worked tirelessly to dig through several layers of debris to rescue at least one of the six individuals, according to the department.
Overall, the process lasted over three hours to safely extract all six individuals and rescue two pets, which were handed over to animal control, as reported by the department.
Authorities are looking into what caused the explosion.