Authorities have recovered the bodies of two victims following an explosion and fire that destroyed several row homes in south Philadelphia.
The first victim’s remains were recovered late Friday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the 11:30 a.m. Thursday blast not far from the city’s famed Italian Market. The second victim’s remains were recovered on Saturday afternoon, a fire department spokeswoman said. The names of the two haven’t been released.
Three houses collapsed and others were damaged, two of them severely. Several dozen people were evacuated due to the fire.
City Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said emergency responders twice tried to rescue someone they saw trapped but were prevented from doing so by the intense fire and collapsing buildings. Family members have reported a second person missing that Thiel said is believed to be in the debris.
Thiel said excavation efforts were hampered by concerns about the stability of the street and structures, and steel plates had to be put on the road to make it safe for heavy equipment. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that he said Friday evening that crews must dismantle buildings on either side of the wreckage to continue recovery efforts.
Thiel had praise for the efforts of both first responders and neighbors who tried to offer assistance.
“We really saw the best of Philadelphia yesterday,” Thiel said
The cause of the explosion and fire remains under investigation.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.