From Staff Reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- On Tuesday, eight people, five children and two adults were hospitalized and one woman was pronounced dead in a gas explosion in Gate City. The coroner has identified the woman as 40 year old, Tyrennis Mabry.
Her body was found in the rubble of the apartment building near her fiance, Daryle Brown. He was transported to UAB Hospital and remains in critical condition.
Residents reported hearing a large explosion around 2am on Tuesday morning. The explosion sparked a fire that took firefighters over two hours to deter. The Fire Department reported the cause of the explosion to be a faulty natural gas line and will be further investigated by Alagasco.
Alagasco has released the following statement in response:
“We located and turned off natural gas service to the area involved. Our first priority is the safety of our customers, the public and our employees. We are gathering the facts and as soon as more details become available, we will share that information.”
The fire took place in the Marks Village public housing complex, managed by the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District. Naomi Truman, Executive Director for the Housing Authority expressed her sympathy saying, “We are deeply saddened by the situation at hand and we will do all that we can to ensure that these residents find a sense of comfort in this time of disaster. Our sincerest condolences go out to the Mabry family for their loss and we will continue to pray for all of those who were affected.”
The American Red Cross along with the Salvation Army, were on site to provide snacks, water, coffee, and a cooked meal for the responders and those affected by the explosion. 42 people were relocated to local hotels and the Housing Authority relocated 4 families that had to evacuate to other units within the housing community that day.
Mayor William Bell was at the scene extending prayers to the victim’s families. The Birmingham Water Works was also on the scene ensuring that residents could have clean running water. The surviving victims had varying degrees of injuries and burns, none were life-threatening.
The official cause of the Gate City explosion has not yet been determined. Birmingham fire chief Ivor Brooks said Tuesday the explosion loosened the connection to the gas meters outside the building, causing natural gas to flow freely and feed the fire for more than two hours.
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, held a press conference concerning the explosion in the public housing complex.
