ATLANTA — We are learning more about what caused an explosion at an Atlanta apartment complex late Tuesday night.
In a statement from Integral Property Management, which owns the apartment complex along Markham Street, it said a gas leak was caused by someone who had broken into the vacant building and was trying to steal copper.
“When an open flame was used inside the unit, accumulated gas ignited,” the statement said.
The property management company also said a nearby business called 911 to report the smell of gas in the area around 1:45 p.m.
Channel 2’s Audrey Washington was there on Wednesday as a special rescue team assessed the structural stability of the area near the apartment building.
The explosion displaced 40 people. The damage left behind is almost too overwhelming to look at.
“Glass is broken everywhere, parts and debris everywhere,” neighbor Deandrea Moore said.
For one resident, the gas explosion struck a nerve.
“I’m a military vet, so training, explosions, bombs. This took me back,” the woman said, who did not identify herself.
Washington walked around the apartment building. She found a front door that had been blown off its hinges and was now lying on the ground.
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Parts of the apartment building were still lying on another building nearby. The roofline of the apartment building now has a gaping hole in it. And debris remains scattered everywhere.
One person suffered serious burns in the explosion.
On Tuesday night, Washington spoke with people who tried to help that man.
“I heard a man saying, ‘Help me, help me,’” Bernice Gregory said.
Atlanta Fire Rescue and other agencies are investigating the explosion.
Moore said she tried to get help from the Red Cross but was turned away.
“They told us that we’re not eligible for their help,” Moore told Washington.
“Why?” Washington asked.
“They didn’t say. They said you’re not eligible and walked out the door,” Moore said.
Washington spoke with a Red Cross spokesperson on Wednesday, who told her she will speak with the right person to hopefully get Moore and others the help they need.
Anyone who was displaced and needs help is urged to call the Red Cross.