PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - State investigators believe an open natural gas valve may have caused the Plantation shopping center explosion.
Nearly two dozen people were injured in the blast on July 6, but no one was killed.
“I’m just feeling very grateful that everybody that was in there with me made it out OK,” a witness said.
According to a recently released preliminary report, investigators determined gas was able to enter an empty pizza shop, which had been closed for months, because of a valve that was turned on that morning.
Hours later, the air conditioning unit kicked in, and the spark from the unit ignited the explosion that sent debris flying and leveled several stores, the report said.
“Significant debris throughout the whole strip mall that’s involved,” Plantation Fire Department Deputy Chief Joel Gordon said.
“Everything just exploded behind us,” a second witness said.
Investigators said they are trying to determine who turned on the gas valve.
“I mean, I did smell gas, but because right next to Mr. Pho — the Pho Brothers — I said something to them,” witness Graig Foulks said.
It remains unclear if the valve was open at the rear of the business or inside of it.
The case remains under active investigation.
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