Orion Township condo explosion seriously injures 2 people, leaves many

A massive explosion suspected to be caused by a natural gas leak leveled two condominiums and heavily damaged more than a dozen others in Orion Township on Tuesday night, sending two people to the hospital with serious injuries, authorities said.

The two seriously injured individuals were a 72-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. Their conditions remain unknown as of Tuesday night.

The explosion occurred around 6:20 p.m. and brought firefighters from nine surrounding departments to a scene of devastation, on Waldon Road between Baldwin and Joslyn roads, according to Orion Township officials.

Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett viewed the widespread damage Tuesday night and said, “It’s insane.”

As late as 9 p.m., first responders were still looking to see if additional victims lay trapped in rubble, Barnett said. A fire continued to burn under the debris of the condo where the explosion took place, “because they haven’t been able to turn off the gas.”

A few other people had minor injuries, Barnett said, adding: “We’re thankful that more people weren’t seriously hurt.”

The site of the conflagration was Keatington New Town, a complex of condominiums built between 1975 and 1990, the Orion Township building official told Barnett, as the supervisor spoke to the Free Press.

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A condo on the right is where a suspected gas explosion occurred at 6:20 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Orion Township. Two people were hospitalized in serious condition. On the left is a heavily damaged second condo. Authorities evacuated 15 condos, all heavily damaged by the “massive explosion,” Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said.

Officials evacuated at least 15 of the condo units, Barnett said. Windows were blown out, one condo was shoved off its foundation, and the one nearest the apparent origin of the explosion was still standing, in part.

“It looks like something in a movie,” he said “We have lots of people homeless. We’re sending many of these folks to Woodside Church.”

This scene of devastation greeted personnel from nine fire departments that responded to Tuesday night’s suspected gas explosion at condos on Waldon Road between Baldwin and Joslyn roads in Orion Township.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the explosion.

“Preliminary indications are it was a gas explosion but the exact cause has not been determined,” according to the sheriff’s office.

The public is urged to stay away from the area as police investigate and work with the Orion Township Fire Department.

In a statement released Tuesday night, Tracy Wimmer, a spokesperson for Consumers Energy, said they sent crews to the scene immediately after they were made aware of the explosion: “As first responders are still actively battling the fire, we do not have additional information about the cause of the explosion or about the status of anyone in the building. Our crews are on site and will move ahead with their work once first responders have deemed it safe to do so.”

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 seriously injured, many homeless after Orion Township condo blast

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