ATLANTA — An explosion at an apartment complex in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday night has left 40 people displaced, with investigators suspecting a break-in led to the ignition of a gas line.
The explosion occurred near Mercedes Benz Stadium, and the property manager reported that someone broke in to steal copper, using an open flame that ignited a gas line.
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Surveillance cameras captured the blast, which has prompted teams to assess the stability of the area.
“He was struggling and trapped and the apartment was on fire,” Clayton Still, a military police officer who rescued a tenant from the burning building, told Channel 2’s Jorge Estevez.
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Still, who was driving back from a Hawks game, said he noticed smoke and saw part of the apartment complex on fire.
The building is located off Northside Drive, just south of Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Still heard cries for help and, relying on his military training, entered the building to rescue a trapped tenant.
“There were burns on his arms. I had one on his face and his clothes were kind of ripped,” Still told Channel 2 Action News.
The explosion has left 40 people displaced, and teams are continuing to assess the stability of the area surrounding the apartment building.
The identity of the person responsible for the break-in and subsequent explosion remains unknown and the investigation remains active.
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