Springfield gas explosion levels strip club, injures 18 (VIDEO)
An explosion caused by a natural gas leak leveled a strip club in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Nov. 24, 2012.
An explosion caused by a natural gas leak Friday night leveled a strip club in Springfield, Massachusetts, and injured at least 18 people.
Authorities did not immediately know if anyone died in the blast, The Associated Press reported.
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TScores Gentlemen's Club had not opened yet for the night, but downtown Springfield was filled with people celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to WWLP.
The blast happened at about 5:25 p.m. ET as gas workers looked for a leak under the road, Reuters reported.
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Witnesses described a massive explosion that shook the ground and sent up a huge cloud of smoke.
"The whole building is completely gone," Springfield police Capt. William Collins told Reuters. "The building was leveled … there was extensive damage to a building across the street."
One dancer told the Springfield Republican that gas workers had come to Scores during the week after employees reported smelling gas, but found nothing.