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DEKALB COUNTY, Georgia – Firefighters say an explosion and collapse at an apartment building in DeKalb County has left at least four people hospitalized for their injuries.
Police said they were called to Arrive Perimeter apartments in DeKalb County around 1:24 p.m., where they encountered heavy gas fumes. The police were able to start evacuating the residents.
The DeKalb Fire Department said there were reports of at least two people missing.
Several Channel 2 Action News teams are at the resort and are working to get more information as the situation evolves. LIVE Updates on Channel 2 Action News at 6 p.m.
At one point there was an explosion, which initially trapped several people inside. In frightening 911 calls, dispatchers say “half the building is gone.”
“It blew up the building pretty well,” said a Dunwoody police officer. Channel 2 Action News.
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It is not known if anyone is still trapped in the rubble. Firefighters go from unit to unit in parts of the building that are structurally sound. They say three units are currently not secure enough to be searched.
Heavy rescue teams are working to consolidate the building so that they can enter areas that are still unstable.
There are reports that two people are still missing. Of those rescued, at least four had injuries serious enough to be taken to hospital. There are reports that one person suffered a burn and another broke his leg.
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Many law enforcement and firefighters are involved in the rescue effort. Officials said there were at least 75 firefighters at the scene as well as technical rescue teams. Atlanta Gas Light crews are also on site to assist emergency responders.
All roads surrounding the building are closed. Police are asking all those who live in the complex but who were not affected by the explosion to stay in their homes.
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The explosion was so powerful that it damaged surrounding buildings. Hopper 2 was on the scene, where there was a large crack in the roof and one side of the building with heavy damage.
“The whole building was damaged,” firefighters said.
Eboni Thornton said she was in a moving van outside the building when she felt something had fallen on the vehicle. She said the whole vehicle shook. She was shocked by what she saw as she got out of the truck.
“The rental office collapsed on the left side, the double doors were blown out and I could hear a lady scream with her head held high,” Thornton said.
Thornton said he saw a few people limping and bleeding and being carried out of the rubble.
The American Red Cross is on hand to help those displaced from their homes. They have set up a reception area to provide snacks, water and emotional support to residents while the building’s utilities are shut down.
This is the second explosion in a Dunwoody building in less than a year. Two people were injured in a fire and explosion at apartments in Dunwoody Village last December, just before Christmas.
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