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At least four people were injured when a suspected gas leak caused a massive explosion at an apartment complex just north of Atlanta, Georgia.
Officers were called to the Arrive Perimeter apartments in DeKalb County just before 1:30 p.m. and immediately noticed a strong odor of gas. They began evacuating the building and managed to get most of the residents out before the explosion.
Officials said that one person was transported to the hospital with burns, and another person suffered a broken leg. They did not provide details on the other two people who were injured. Two others are currently unaccounted for.
The gigantic explosion decimated several floors of one building and caused damage to neighboring structures.
"This explosion, man, it hit the whole block. It was felt (by) like four complexes, at least. The whole block felt it," witness, Richmond Punch, told WXIA. "Explosion - bam! Like a bomb, like a helicopter, or like as if somebody crashed a car into the apartments. It was crazy."
Punch said that residents have been complaining about a potential gas leak for several weeks.
"People started calling the company, calling the property, saying 'hey we smell gas,' 'hey we smell something.' They've been calling every day, even up to this morning they were calling, saying 'hey we smell something,'" Punch said.
Stacey Dougherty, who lives about a quarter-mile away from the blast, said that she felt the explosion.
"I felt and heard a loud thud around 1:30 or so. I thought my neighbor dropped a large item like a piece of furniture," Dougherty told CNN. "I only found out a bit later on Twitter that it was a gas explosion just down the road from me. I hope no one got hurt."
Authorities are working to secure the scene but said the recovery efforts could take time because the structure is unstable.