MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on an explosion and partial building collapse at a Minneapolis school (all times local):
10 p.m.
Officials say a second body has been recovered after an explosion and partial building collapse at a Minneapolis school.
Fire Chief John Fruetel says the body was found around 8 p.m. Wednesday. Fruetel says the medical examiner’s office is working to notify family members.
Fruetel says the cause of the natural gas explosion at the Minnehaha Academy remains under investigation. The private Christian school serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
The school earlier said receptionist Ruth Berg also died in the blast, and that janitor John Carlson was missing. At a news conference Wednesday night, Fruetel did not specify whether Carlson’s body was the one located.
The state fire marshal’s office is aiding in the investigation.
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6:35 p.m.
Minneapolis firefighters are trying to stabilize a partially collapsed school building in order to locate a man believed to be buried under the rubble.
Authorities say a fatal natural gas explosion Wednesday sparked a fire and partially collapsed a building at the Minnehaha Academy. The private Christian school serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
The school says longtime receptionist Ruth Berg died in the blast, and that janitor John Carlson remained unaccounted for Wednesday evening.
Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel says he’s hopeful Carlson is alive. Fruetel says he’s treating the search as a rescue operation.
Fruetel says it’s possible a void was created when the building collapsed. He says the building is unstable and noted that making it safe for rescuers will take time.
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5:35 p.m.
Officials at a private school in Minneapolis have identified the employee who was killed in a natural gas explosion on campus, as well as a second worker who remains missing.
Minnehaha Academy says Ruth Berg worked at the school for 17 years before she was killed Wednesday in the explosion. The blast partially collapsed a building on the school’s campus.
On its Facebook page, the school says Berg “welcomed everyone with a smile and was always willing to go the extra mile to help our students.”
The missing employee was identified as John Carlson, a janitor at the school.
School official Sara Jacobson says Carlson graduated from Minnehaha Academy in 1953, and that the school is hoping for a miracle.
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5 p.m.
A Minneapolis hospital says it is still treating four people who were injured in a fatal gas explosion at a local school.
Nine people were initially taken to Hennepin County Medical Center following the late Wednesday morning explosion at Minnehaha Academy. The blast partially collapsed a building on the private school’s campus.
The hospital says five people have since been released, but that one person is still in critical condition.
Authorities say one school staff member was killed in the blast and another is missing.
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3:35 p.m.
Authorities say one school staff member is dead and another is missing after a natural gas explosion at a college prep school in Minneapolis.
Fire Chief John Fruetel says one body was found Wednesday after the explosion caused a partial building collapse at Minnehaha Academy. The private Christian school serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
The fire department says both individuals worked at the school.
The Minneapolis Fire Department says the blast was caused by natural gas, and contractors were working on the building at the time.
Authorities say seven adults are hospitalized, including three with critical injuries.
Fire crews have spent hours searching through the rubble.
(This item has been corrected to note that the dead and missing individuals are both school staff members, instead of one contractor and one school employee, per updated information from authorities.)
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2:30 p.m.
Authorities say seven adults are hospitalized following a gas explosion that leveled part of a school in Minneapolis.
Hennepin County Medical Center says three patients suffered critical injuries in the explosion Wednesday at Minnehaha Academy.
The hospital’s chief of emergency medicine, Dr. Jim Miner, says the injuries range from head injuries and broken bones to cuts from debris.
Minnehaha Academy says all of its students and staff members are accounted for and safe. The private Christian school serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Local fire officials say the explosion was caused by natural gas, and contractors were working on the building at the time of the blast.
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1:10 p.m.
School officials say all students and staff are safe following an explosion at a private college prep school in Minneapolis, though authorities say two people remain unaccounted for.
The Minneapolis Fire Department says a gas explosion caused the blast and partial building collapse Wednesday at Minnehaha Academy. Fire officials say contractors were working on the building at the time.
Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner says two people are unaccounted for and one person suffered critical injuries in the blast.
The school released a statement saying all of its summer program students and staff “are accounted for and safe.”
The private Christian school serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
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12:45 p.m.
Fire officials say a gas explosion caused a fire and partial building collapse at a college prep school in Minneapolis.
The explosion was reported Wednesday at Minnehaha Academy, a private Christian school serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner says two people are unaccounted for and one person suffered critical injuries in the blast. Fire officials say contractors were working on the building at the time.
The Star Tribune reports city records show that Master Mechanical Inc. was issued a permit on June 7 for gas piping and hooking up a meter at the school.
A company official released a statement saying it was monitoring the situation and referring all questions to the Minneapolis Fire Department. He wouldn’t confirm to The Associated Press that company workers were on site, saying: “We are trying to figure it out.”
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12:15 p.m.
Authorities say two people are unaccounted for after an explosion and partial building collapse at a grade school in Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Fire Department initially tweeted that one fatality was reported in the collapse at Minnehaha Academy. But fire officials haven’t been able to confirm that report, and Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner says officials are backing off that statement.
Tyner says three people were rescued from the roof, and another person initially believed missing was found unhurt. He says crews are searching for two missing people who may be trapped in the rubble.
Police say five people were taken to a hospital with injuries, including one who has since been released.
Minnehaha Academy is a Christian college prep school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
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11:35 a.m.
Fire officials say three people are unaccounted for after an explosion and partial building collapse at a Minneapolis school.
The Minneapolis Fire Department initially tweeted that one fatality was reported in Wednesday’s collapse at Minnehaha Academy. But fire officials haven’t been able to confirm that report, and Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner says they are backing off that statement.
Tyner says three people were rescued from the building’s roof. He says crews are searching for others who might be trapped in the rubble, including three people who are unaccounted for. He didn’t immediately know when the missing are adults or children.
He says it appears the explosion might have been caused by a ruptured gas line, but that the investigation is ongoing.
Minnehaha Academy is a Christian college prep school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
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11:10 a.m.
Fire officials are responding to a building collapse in Minneapolis and trying to determine whether anyone is dead.
The Minneapolis Fire Department tweeted that one fatality has been reported in Wednesday’s collapse, but fire officials haven’t been able to confirm that death.
Police and firefighters are on the scene at Minnehaha Academy. Authorities say crews are extinguishing a fire and searching for possible victims.
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