At least two people are dead after a late-night explosion in an Indianapolis neighborhood.
Two people were killed and hundreds were displaced Saturday night when a powerful explosion leveled two homes and sparked an extra-alarm fire on the south side of Indianapolis, a fire department spokeswoman said.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
Two homes exploded just after 11 p.m. Saturday, sparking fires in two others and damaging at least two dozen homes, said Lt. Bonnie Hensley, a spokeswoman for the Indianapolis Fire Department.
"It looks like a war zone here right now," Hensley said.
Fire officials confirmed two fatalities early Sunday morning, and four people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, Hensley said.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone else was missing, but officials combed the area before calling off their search efforts until daylight, Hensley said.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire, according to a fire department statement.
Officials evacuated about 200 people to a nearby elementary school, where the Red Cross was sheltering about 20 of them for the night. Others spent the night in the homes of friends or family, and officials planned to take the remainder to the Southport Presbyterian Church.
Firefighters had brought the fire under control by 12:30 a.m. Sunday but were still putting out hotspots afterward, Hensley said.The blast originated near 8415 Fieldfare Way, according to the fire department release.
From his bedroom a block away, 47-year-old software engineer Chris Patterson felt the walls of his home shake. The force of the explosion shattered a glass sliding door in his home, he said.
"It felt like something had hit our house,” Patterson said.
Patterson and his wife stepped outside, where they found other neighbors in the street and an orange glow in the distance.
As fire officials shut off gas to the neighborhood, police came by soon after to evacuate residents to the elementary school staging area, where first responders had established a triage area. There, after checking in with authorities, stunned neighbors sat on bleachers and waited for more information.
"You had a bunch of sleepy kids and nervous-looking parents," Patterson said.
Patterson and his wife ultimately spent the night at his mother's home.
As search and investigation efforts continue today, the Department of Code Enforcement of Indianapolis will be assessing the safety of homes affected by the explosion.
asege@tribune.com
Twitter: @AdamSege
Indianapolis explosion: Two dead, hundreds forced from homes
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Indianapolis explosion: Two dead, hundreds forced from homes
