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At Least 10 Injured In Apartment Explosion

Authorities Believe All Residents Accounted For

POSTED: Thursday, September 20, 2007
UPDATED: 1:30 pm EDT September 20, 2007

Authorities said they believe all the residents of an apartment building that caught fire after an explosion have been accounted for.

A raging fire began after the explosion in the building about 5:30 a.m. at the Deerfield East Apartments, located at 1325 SE Eighth Ave., according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

At least 10 people were injured in the fire, including two firefighters, Local 10 reported. Four of the eight residents were transported to North Broward Medical Center. The others were treated at the scene.

Firefighters were searching the debris for residents who might be trapped, but crews were called out of the building while structural engineers determined whether it was safe to go back inside.

Miami-Dade police provided two golden Labrador retrievers, one trained to search for human remains and another trained to detect accelerants. So far, the cadaver dog has not discovered any bodies, according to Local 10.

The explosion occurred in a third-floor apartment, according to authorities. The residents of the apartment were not home at the time.

Fire investigators said two propane tanks that power the apartment's stoves, dryers and hot water heaters might have caused the blaze.

The northeast side of the building's roof collapsed under the intense flames.

Several residents were trapped in the building. One woman said her trapped husband was forced to jump from a third-floor window. Another woman who was transported to the hospital said the roof fell on top of her, injuring her knee.

Benny Epps and his dog, Miko, were among the more than 100 displaced residents huddled under a parking garage across the street from a nearby Target.

"When I first left the apartment, I didn't know what was going on, so I left my dog in her travel cage," said Epps. "And then the police came up and were yelling, 'Everybody get out of the building. Everybody get out.' So I had to go back in and get her."

Tommy Williams said he managed to get out with only the clothes he had on him, his caged birds and his Bible.

"I lost everything," said Williams.

The American Red Cross was providing food and clothing for residents and assessing their housing needs to determine whether it was necessary to open a shelter. That decision has not yet been made.

"We're prepared for this size (disaster). We've dealt with Hurricane Wilma," said Alana Segall, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross. "That's what we train for, and everybody is getting ready now to gear up to deal with the needs of the people who have been affected."

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