Florida pizza restaurant explosion injures more than 20

Explosions occur far too frequently in the United States. They’re simply unavoidable.

Set a Google alert for “explosion,” and watch as your inbox is inundated with updates.

Here is a look at two explosions from the past week:

Florida pizza restaurant explosion injures more than 20

From Associated Press: A Florida pizza restaurant explosion in a Plantation shopping plaza west of Fort Lauderdale injured more than 20 people as large chunks of concrete flew through the air. The blast flung debris widely along a busy road.

The vacant restaurant was destroyed, and nearby businesses and cars were damaged. Although firefighters found ruptured gas lines afterward, authorities said it was too early to determine a cause.

“We thought it was thunder at first, and then we felt the building shake and things started falling. I looked outside and it was almost like the world was ending,” said Alex Carver, a worker at a deli across the street from the Florida pizza restaurant explosion. “It was nuts, man. It was crazy.”

Florida pizza restaurant explosion:
Concrete scattered

The explosion hurled large pieces of concrete up to 50 yards away and sent pieces of metal scattering as far as 100 yards across the street. Carver said two of his co-workers’ cars were destroyed.

At least 21 people were injured, although none of the injuries was life-threatening, said police spokesperson Jessica Ryan.

The explosion demolished the building, leaving behind only part of its metal frame. The restaurant, called PizzaFire, had been out of business for several months. The blast also blew out the windows of a fitness club at a shopping plaza next door.

Florida pizza restaurant explosion:
‘Massive explosion’

Jesse Walaschek had just left the fitness club with his wife and three children, ages 4, 6 and 8. They were parked near the restaurant and had just driven away about 50 yards when they heard the blast. “It was a massive explosion,” Jesse Walaschek said, “like I have never experienced.”

Walaschek said dust and debris filled the air. “Everything just stopped. You didn’t see anybody,” he said. “I just wanted to get these guys (his children) safe. If this had happened a minute before when we were getting the kids in the car, it would have been really bad.”

Dozens of firefighters responded and could be seen picking through the rubble. Search dogs were seen sniffing through the debris to make sure no one was trapped underneath.

Fire department battalion chief Joel Gordon said there were ruptured gas lines when firefighters arrived. He couldn’t say for certain, however, that it was a gas explosion. “At this point, nobody was killed. Thank goodness for that,” Gordon said. “As bad as it is, it could have been a lot worse.”

A Florida pizza restaurant explosion injured more than 20 people and flung debris widely along a busy road in Plantation, west of Fort Lauderdale.

Woman killed in Roswell home explosion identified

From news services: The deceased woman found after an explosion and fire north of Roswell, New Mexico, was identified as Juanita Edwards.

Todd Wildermuth, spokesman for the Roswell Fire Department, confirmed that the body of Juanita (Nita) Edwards was found at the scene on the corner of North Atkinson Avenue and Isler Road, just north of Roswell city limits. Edwards, who was in her 80s, is listed in county property records as one of the owners of the residence.

Crews and investigators spent most of last Wednesday on the scene of the explosion. A spokesperson for the New Mexico Gas Company (NMGC) said its investigators discovered a gas leak.

“Our crews went in to excavate that area and were able to make repairs on the gas line,” said NMGC spokesperson Tim Korte.