Explosion at Colorado apartment building displaces hundreds – NBC News

An explosion at an Aurora, Colorado, apartment building forced hundreds of people to flee their homes and injured three people, according to authorities. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

The Aurora Fire Rescue crew arrived at a building on East Alameda Avenue after reports of smoke coming from the building, when an explosion occurred. Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

A fire alarm went off after a resident saw smoke, and then 10-15 minutes later, an explosion happened near electrical equipment, the elevator and what looks like utility meters.

Residents of the building said they heard odd noises prior to the explosion, saw white smoke and felt the ground shaking at the time it occurred. Many residents were unable to retrieve their belongings, and as of Sunday, it remained unclear when any residents could return to the building.

The fire department said 300 to 400 residents were evacuated from Parkside Collective and were being relocated to a shelter with the help of the Red Cross.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse employees witnessed the explosion as they were preparing the restaurant for the day. Firefighters mitigated hazards and are out of the building and are waiting for assistance with utility control.

Residents have been told to go to Gateway High School in Aurora for temporary shelter after being told to leave their building.

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