02 Aug Multiple People Missing After Huge Explosion At U.S School

A gas explosion at a private Christian school in Minneapolis has sparked a search-and-rescue mission for two missing people.

The unfolding situation, according to the Minneapolis Police Department, is still in its earliest stages. The structural integrity of the school is being assessed, and though three people were initially missing, one was found safely outside the school. Minneapolis Police have not ruled out the possibility that the remaining two missing are outside of the school, and not trapped inside.

One death has been reported, but was later noted as unconfirmed by the fire department. Five adults have suffered injuries, and were taken to the hospital. One has since been released.

The school, Minnehaha Academy, has over 800 students, ranging from grades K through 12. An eruption of natural gas, an accident resulting from ongoing construction, is thought to be the cause of the explosion. Thankfully, the school was not as crowded as it could have been due to summer hours.

John Barron, a man who lives across from the school with his dogs, directly felt the sound and impact of the explosion. “I could see sunlight all the way through to the other side,” he told reporters. The explosion was massive enough to split the building and create a large opening. Windows burst in their frames, and some bystanders were blown off their feet, according to WCCO, a local Minnesota subsidiary of CBS.

Extinguishing the remaining fires and clearing the rubble will be an ongoing process, while finding the two missing people remains the top priority.

Our hope, and the hope of the Minneapolis Police Department, is that the two people unaccounted for were not inside the building at the time of the explosion.

The search and rescue mission is expected to take some time. Until the two people are located, emergency personnel will be constantly evaluating the situation. We can only hope that nobody has been killed, and that the missing people are located healthy and well.

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