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Blast caused by gas leak destroys Philadelphia row house, injures 8

A contractor was working on a water heater in the basement of the house, which collapsed after the explosion.Michael Giordano/Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — A row house collapse Monday severely damaged neighboring houses and hurt eight people, including a baby and a critically injured contractor.

Officials blamed a gas leak for the explosion that prompted the collapse.

The blast happened shortly after 11 a.m. at an unoccupied home that was being remodeled. The house was in the middle of a south Philadelphia block of connected two-story brick homes.

The contractor was working on a water heater in the basement of the destroyed home when neighbors reported hearing an explosion, police said.

Bricks showered onto the small street and nearly covered a car parked out front. The houses on either side of the destroyed home were badly damaged, with large sections of their masonry walls gone.

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Rescue crews combed through the rubble for victims but determined that no one was missing.

Nearby gas service was turned off and the area evacuated.

Residents were taken to a nearby school, which was used as a temporary shelter.

‘‘I was in the shower and I thought my house was about to fall down,’’ said Christie Scibblo, a 26-year-old mother of four who lives four houses down from the collapsed home. ‘‘I ran outside and I saw a firefighter rescuing an infant.’’

Scibblo said she also saw firefighters hosing down a man who had been burned.

Daniel Killian, 19, who lives across the narrow street from the house that collapsed, said he smelled gas shortly before the collapse.

Joseph Szymborski, 33, was jolted from his bed when he heard what sounded like an explosion.

He ran outside to find ‘‘the house was in the street.’’

He said he went down the street and helped neighbors and rescuers look through the rubble, though he was worried about the remains of the damaged buildings falling on him.

Associated Press