PHILADELPHIA, PA – According to authorities, a large blast rocked the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia at around 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, shaking homes for several blocks.
Police determined it was a gas explosion that occurred in the area of East Atlantic Street and Miller Street in the River Wards neighborhood.
Several homes were destroyed in the blast that sent cars and debris flying in the air. Several vehicles were destroyed in the blast that destroyed two units in the row-house-style neighborhood.
Nearby homes sustained damage from flying debris. At this time, no deaths were reported. Several people were injured.
Residents displaced from the explosion were being sheltered at the Bernard Samuel Recreation Center, provided by the American Red Cross and the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.
The explosion was heard as far as northeast Philadelphia and in New Jersey.
The Philadelphia Fire Department said two people were rescued from the rubble and treated on-scene by EMS crews. Three people were taken to the hospital for treatment.
