A loud propane tank explosion in Emporia that brought down parts of the ceiling caused three people to be sent to the hospital Wednesday night.
Emporia Police say the explosion happened around 6:25 p.m. at Pino’s Pizza on West Atlantic Street.
“I heard an explosion. It sounded like a loud gunshot last night,” said William Gillus, who was next door at a hotel when he heard an explosion. Firefighters believe the explosion came from the propane tanks, but the officials are continuing their investigation.
“It was bad. It was very bad. You can’t imagine what happened,” Mohamed Ibrahim said. Pino’s is Ibrahim’s family business. The blast was so strong it brought down parts of the ceiling and damaged the gas station portion of the building.
“My dad got second-degree burns on his face, arm and head. My uncle had the ceiling come down on the top of his head,” Ibrahim said.