Gas leak causes explosion at Sunny Isles Beach high-rise building

Debris from blast injures guests at adjacent hotel

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. – A gas leak caused an explosion in the boiler room of a penthouse at a Sunny Isles Beach high-rise building Friday, injuring six people, including two firefighters who were helping with the rescue effort.

Sky 10 was above the building at the Chateau Beach Residences, 17475 Collins Ave.

Sunny Isles Beach spokesman Brian Andrews told Local 10 News that the Chateau is under construction. He said debris from the blast injured guests at the adjacent Travelodge Monaco Beach Resort.

Two people were stuck in an elevator after the explosion and had to be rescued. They were not injured.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokeswoman Michelle Fayed said two victims were taken by ambulance to Aventura Hospital and another victim was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. Another victim was treated at the scene.

One man could be seen sitting on a luggage carrier with his foot wrapped in a bandage. He was later placed on a stretcher.

LISTEN: 911 call of Chateau Beach Residences explosion

Fayed said two firefighters also suffered minor injuries. A firefighter could be seen limping from the building.

Mayor Bud Scholl said the cause of the gas leak remains under investigation.

"I've instructed our city manager and our city building official to go back through every inch of the construction process (for) this building to make sure everything was done appropriately," he said.

Guests at the hotel had to be relocated.

All lanes of Collins Avenue, which is a stretch of State Road A1A, were closed for several hours during the investigation.

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