A massive fire triggered by a gas explosion engulfed an entire block of an upscale Kansas City shopping district and injured 14 people, a city official said Tuesday evening.

City Manager Troy Schulte said he did not know of anyone being reported missing and had not heard of any fatalities.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, but Schulte said it is believed that an accident involving a utility contractor may have caused the blast.

Fox4KC.com reports that witnesses said the explosion was like an earthquake. The station said there were reports of blown-out windows and minor damage inside apartments near the blast.

Kansas City Fire Chief Paul Berardi said late Tuesday that cadaver dogs were searching the smoldering remains of a restaurant that burned to the ground following the explosion and blaze.

Berardi said the search for possible victims could take hours and that he expected his crews to be at the scene through the night.

While officials have said they have no reports of fatalities, Berardi noted, “I would always fear there are fatalities in a scene like this.”

Earlier Kansas City police had said the blast was caused by a car crashing into a gas main just after 6 p.m. Fire officials said later they were not aware of a crash being involved in the blast. Other witnesses noted street signs in the area indicated utility work was being done in the area, and a worker at a restaurant destroyed in the fire said the facility was being renovated at the time.

Police Sgt. Tony Sanders said the manager of JJ‘s restaurant was unable to account for three people, but it was unclear whether they were caught in the blaze or had left earlier.

“The first thing we need to be concerned about is the people that are injured,” said Mayor Sly James who said officials were in contact with Missouri Gas Energy.

James told Fox4KC.com that fire crews and first responders “have done a remarkable job getting here and working on this.”

Video showed dozens of firefighters and other emergency responders battling a massive blaze that appeared to have engulfed an entire block, with flames burning through the roofs. Black smoke swirled in the air and debris littered surrounding streets.

The University of Kansas Hospital was treating five people injured in the blast, said spokesman Bob Hallinan. He said one person was in critical condition, two were in serious condition and two others were expected to be released. He said all the injuries were traumatic, such as broken bones, rather than burns or smoke inhalation.

Kerry O’Connor, a spokeswoman for St. Luke’s Hospital, which is near the scene of the fire, said several patients were sent to the hospital. She said they haven’t been assessed yet but “they appear to be critical at this time.”

Fire officials did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday evening.

The smell of gas remained very strong near the area long after the suspected explosion.

A phone message left Tuesday seeking comment from Missouri Gas Energy was not immediately returned.

Jim Ligon, a …read more
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