PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - Days after an explosion ripped through a Plantation shopping center, local, state and federal investigators have yet to release the cause.
Plantation Police and fire rescue units from multiple agencies across Broward County responded to a suspected gas explosion at the University shopping center, located in the area of Southwest 10th Street and South University Drive, on Saturday morning.
After an initial investigation, authorities believed the blast, which injured 23 people, originated from a vacant pizza shop that had been closed for some time.
Tuesday afternoon, business owners in the strip mall are still looking for answers so they can move forward with repairs.
“We’ve been coming every day to see when they can let us in, but unfortunately, until they know exactly what happened and the building is secure, there’s nothing we can do,” said Zona Fresca General Manager Rosa Abdala. “We just need to wait.”
Another day of waiting means another day of losing revenue for the surrounding businesses.
“It’s hurting us, of course,” said Abdala.
She said Zona Fresca was lucky and only received minor damage from the explosion, but other stores closer to the pizza shop have to rebuild.
“I couldn’t make anything out in there,” said Code Ninjas owner Eric Leon. “Nothing in there is recognizable.”
Investigators are looking into the possibility of a gas line rupture.
“I mean, I did smell gas, but because we’re next to Mr. Pho – the Pho Brothers – I said something to them,” witness Graig Foulks said.
TECO, one of the gas providers in the area, said they received a call regarding the smell of gas.
“He reported to us that he smelled gas inside his establishment,” said TECO spokesperson Cheri Jacobs, “and we were in the process of dispatching a technician to investigate that smell of gas when the explosion occurred.”
Authorities said finding the cause of the explosion could take weeks.
“What they’re going to do now is they’re going to start digging through the rubble,” said Plantation Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Joel Gordon, “and trying to get in to find the origin of that blast.”
Meanwhile, an LA Fitness employee told 7News they received an email that stated the facility will not reopen until sometime in October.
The Florida Crisis Response Team will be hosting a group crisis intervention at Central Park, located at 9151 NW 2nd St. in Plantation, at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday. Children are welcome to attend.
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