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An explosion at a high-rise building in Baltimore, Maryland, injured 23 people and temporarily trapped a window washing team on hanging scaffolding.
Twenty-one of the victims, all construction workers, were transferred to hospitals in the area after the explosion, which caused the roof to partially collapse.
Jerry Jackson / AP
Workers were left hanging from a scaffold waiting to be rescued after an explosion at the Baltimore Gas and Electric offices.
The city’s fire department tweeted that at least nine of the victims were in critical condition, while another was in serious condition.
The trapped workers were rescued through a window.
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The firefighters union tweeted that evidence points to an explosion on the 16th floor of the downtown building, where the offices of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company are located.
The fire department said the cause of the blast remains under investigation. Public services spokeswoman Stephanie Anne Weaver said work on the building’s “boiler and air handling system” likely caused the accident.
Jerry Jackson / AP
Twenty-one of the victims were taken to local hospitals after the explosion with a partial collapse of the roof.
“The window washing scaffold was compromised due to the incident and a window washing team was brought to safety by the fire department,” Weaver said in a statement.
Weaver said no utility employee was injured. The building was practically empty due to the holidays and the coronavirus pandemic. Their gas service was not active due to construction.
Jerry Jackson / AP
A worker balances on the end of a hanging scaffold waiting to be rescued after an explosion at the Baltimore Gas and Electric offices.
Weaver said the building was considered structurally sound after an inspection and repairs are planned.
