Updated 4:50 P.M. Eastern, 2/10/11: A natural-gas explosion in Allentown (PA) destroyed homes and killed at least three people, including a four-month-old child and a 79-year-old. Two others are unaccounted for.
Firefighters are searching for other victims, but a local official deemed it a recovery operation, according to a CNN news report.
Th explosion occurred late Wednesday night around 11 p.m. Two homes were flattened after the initial explosion, while six others were destroyed by the fire caused by the blast. Another 16 homes were affected.
About 500 people fled the scene, and a nearby senior living facility was evacuated. Firefighters efforts were hindered by wintry weather.
This natural-gas explosion occurred less than a year after a major gas explosion in San Bruno (CA) which killed eight people and destroyed an entire neighborhood.
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