More than 100 inmates and guards were injured in an apparent gas explosion at a jail in northern Florida late on Wednesday, a county official said.
The blast partly leveled the four-story Escambia County Jail’s central booking facility, which held roughly 600 inmates, at about 11 p.m., county spokeswoman Kathleen Castro. No deaths or escapees were reported.
“The building is partially collapsed,” Castro told Reuters, describing the incident as an “apparent gas explosion”.
She said the blast may have been related to severe storms that have hit the southern United States.
“The facility did receive extensive flooding as a result of the rains yesterday,” Castro said.
An updated statement on the Escambia County website later made no mention of gas, saying only it was an “apparent explosion” after reporting earlier it was “an apparent gas explosion”, Reuters informs.
