In the South Austin neighborhood, an apartment building explosion on Tuesday morning wounded eight individuals.
An explosion was reported at approximately 9 a.m. in a four-story apartment complex at 5601 W. West End Ave, per a representative for the Chicago Fire Department.
Ten ambulances were dispatched to the area in all, and at least eight patients have been taken to hospitals. Male and female victims were sent to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. One female and two male victims were brought to Mount Sinai Hospital. One woman was brought to Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center. Two men were sent to Cook County’s Stroger Hospital.
According to Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt, all three patients were in critical to serious condition. The most critically hurt victim was being treated at Loyola’s burn unit for “extremely traumatic burn injuries.”
One of those hurt was, according to Deputy Fire Commissioner Marc Ferman, across the street at the time.
The area where the tragedy occurred was strangely quiet for hours as one of the neighborhood’s major apartment buildings sat damaged, with a portion of the roof having collapsed and crushed the top floor. Imagine yourself inside one of the 35 units as it was shaken.
After being transported to Mount Sinai, all three victims have now been released.
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