Crews responded to a report of a gas leak in the 1000 block of East Home Road at about 1 p.m. on April 8 in a four-unit townhome that is part of a larger complex at Ridgewood Court Townhomes. The explosion happened as firefighters and EMS staff arrived; they had been dispatched for a natural gas leak reported before the explosion.
The family was transported from the scene in multiple medical helicopters.
>> PHOTOS: Explosion in Springfield apartment building injures 3 people
A large column of smoke erupted from the structure after the blast. Fire crews worked on the ensuing blaze for about 30 to 45 minutes. Officials believed the incident was a natural gas explosion.
Crews extinguished flames on the Ducatels in the front yard of the structure and went into the building to rescue the baby. The baby’s crib had been hit with debris, causing her to suffer some burns, Springfield Assistant Fire Chief Matt Smith said on Thursday.
The victims, Haitian immigrants, lived in the same apartment together.
Peggy Johnson, Haitian services facilitator at St. Vincent dePaul in Springfield, said the Red Cross is helping the family with funeral-related expenses. The funeral will be in Florida, where some of the family lives.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but Smith said Thursday that it was something that caused the gas to flow into the townhome for possibly up to four hours before the explosion.
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