An explosion rocked a suburban apartment complex injuring at least one woman Thursday morning and officials were still working to determine what caused the blast.
The North Main Fire Department said around 9 a.m. there was a report of a potential gas explosion at an apartment at 9955 Linda Lane in unincorporated Des Plaines. The blast took place in a first-floor unit in the two-story apartment complex.
Authorities believe no one was inside the apartment at the time of the explosion, but four people were in the building and one woman was in injured. About 10 people have been displaced by the explosion, fire officials said.
“I just woke up to the roof on top of my face," said resident Daisy Roman, who lived next to the apartment that exploded and suffered a minor injury. "There was an explosion I guess on the first floor.”
Neighbors said there was no warning before the windows of the building shattered, sending glass and bricks into the parking lot.
"I was getting out of the shower and as I'm entering my room I get pushed back by a force and I look out my window and I see a hole in the wall," said neighbor Jeremiah Jordan.
Video from the scene showed windows blown out and part of the building's brick facade crumbling. The inside of the home was exposed, with clothes and belongings strewn about in the debris.
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“The explosion came from the front, the courtyard area, and blew all the debris from the window, including like shards of wood, big pieces of wood," said neighbor Everett Pullet. "Pretty catastrophic. Out of nowhere man. Out of nowhere. Literally it shocked everyone around."
At least six fire trucks and three ambulances were at the scene by 10:20 a.m.
Residents said the area smelled like gas following the explosion.
"I'm really grateful that I'm here,"Roman said. "That nothing [else] happened. I could have been worse. There could have been fire. I could not be here."
Fire officials said the cause of the explosion was not immediately known and an investigation remained ongoing as of 11 a.m.
A secondary search of the building will be done as soon as the structure is deemed safe, officials said.
Check back for details on this developing story.
