Explosion Tears Off Part of Philly Home

A gas explosion tore off part of a Northeast Philadelphia home Thursday, leaving debris strewn on the ground below.

The incident around 12:45 p.m. took out a wall of a twin home that is split into apartments along Pearson Avenue at Gillespie Street, not far from Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia police said.

Neighbors said they saw a flash and heard an explosion. One neighbor even said they felt a little shake.

SkyForce10 was the first on the scene. Smoke could be seen coming from the twin home as firefighters doused the exposed second floor.

Bricks and other debris could be seen on the ground and rooms in the home, including a bathroom and bedroom could be seen from outside.

Firefighters appeared to enter the garage of the home to search for any victims once the smoke seemed to settle.

The incident was brought under control at 1:36 p.m.

No one was hurt, police said. It was unclear if anyone was home at the time.

Gas service was turned off to the block, police said.

Avoid the area as firefighters and police are blocking streets as they further investigate.

Part of the building is under renovation, police said. The exact cause of the blast remained under investigation Thursday.

Photo Credit: SkyForce10

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