Building inspectors assessing homes and businesses in Springfield in the aftermath of a natural gas explosion say the blast damaged more than 40 buildings.
The Friday evening explosion in Springfield leveled a building that housed a strip club. It injured 18 people, many of them emergency workers. Their injuries aren't life-threatening.
The explosion occurred an hour after gas company workers arrived to investigate a possible gas leak in the entertainment district of the city.
Authorities cordoned off the area on Saturday. Building inspectors say preliminary findings showed the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units. Three buildings were immediately condemned.
Punta Cana restaurant manager Omar Fermin says the explosion shattered the business' floor-to-ceiling windows and made the area look like an earthquake zone.
