Center Section Of Minnehaha Academy Destroyed

SCENE.
RIGHT NOW WE KNOW ACCORDING TO
MINNEAPOLIS FIRE THAT AT LEAST
ONE PERSON IS DEAD.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL US.
I CAN TELL YOU BESIDES THAT
ONE CONFIRMED FATALITY THERE IS
ALSO A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS
TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO HC
BECAUSE WE SPOKE WITH THE
GENTLEMAN THAT PULLED HIM OUT
OF THIS WRECKAGE AFTER THE
EXPLOSION.
PALMA SKIN IS A RESIDENT WHO
LIVES JUST ON THE WEST SIDE
ALONG 46 AVENUE AND HE SAID HE
FELT THE EXPLOSION THAT SHOOK
HIS HOUSE.
HE WAS OUTSIDE IN THE YARD
PULLING WE AND GARDENING.
HE FELT THE EXPLOSION AND RAN
OVER THERE.
HE SAID THERE WAS A YOUNG WOMAN
WHO WAS TRAPPED INSIDE.
I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU CAN ZOOM
IN A LITTLE BIT BUT YOU CAN SEE
THE AREA THAT FIREFIGHTERS ARE
STILL POURING WATER ONTO IT.
A NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS WITH
POLICE STANDING BY.
THAT IS THE AREA THAT WE
BELIEVE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
SOME MECHANICAL WORK GOING ON
AT THE TIME.
THERE ARE TWO TRUCKS PARKED
JUST OUTSIDE OF WHERE THE
BOILER ACTUALLY IS.
THAT IS WHERE THE LARGE
SMOKESTACK IS.
THAT WOULD BE THE BOILER FOR
THIS OLD PART OF MINNEHAHA
ACADEMY.
PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF
WORK GOING ON THERE THAT LED TO
A GAS LEAK.
WE ARE NOT SURE OF COURSE.
THAT WILL BE WEEKS AWAY BEFORE
THE FULL INVESTIGATION IS DONE.
RESIDENTS WE SPOKE WITH SAID
THAT THEY COULD SMELL GAS.
THERE IS A DISTINCT ODOR OF
NATURAL GAS.
YOU HEARD FROM STEVE JOHNSON
WHO IS OUT ON THE SOCCER TO --
FIELD AT THE TIME.
THERE WERE TEACHERS IN THE
BUILDING.
THEY DID SOUND AN ALARM THAT WE
DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE GOT
OUT OF THE BUILDING.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT SOME
PEOPLE WERE INSIDE OF THE
BUILDING.
WE DO NOT KNOW IF THEY HAVE
ACCOUNTED FOR.
JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
DISBELIEF.
A SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS
NEIGHBORHOOD ROCKED BY THIS
EXPLOSION AROUND 10:15 THIS
MORNING.
WE ALSO SPOKE WITH DEBORAH WHO
IS A RETIRED NURSE WHO RAN TO
THE SCENE.
AT THAT POINT FIREFIGHTERS AND
AMBULANCE CREWS WERE ALREADY
SHOWING UP AND THEY BASICALLY
WERE TURNING PEOPLE AWAY FROM
TRYING TO ENGAGE IN HELP OR
RESCUE.
IT IS NOW IN THE CAPABLE HANDS
OF MINNEAPOLIS FIRE AND POLICE.
THEY ARE STILL POURING WATER ON
AN AREA THAT APPEARS TO BE
SMOLDERING.
YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE CENTER
PART OF THE BUILDING JUST
COLLAPSED.
ALSO LOOKING AROUND THE
BUILDING A NUMBER OF WINDOWS
ARE BLOWN OUT ON THE UPPER
STORIES.
YOU CAN SEE OFF TO THE RIGHT
HAND SIDE WHERE THE LATTER IS
THAT ALL THE WINDOWS HAVE BEEN
BLOWN OUT.
THIS IS A POWERFUL EXPLOSION.
WE JUST GOT SOME NEW
INFORMATION AND THIS IS FROM A
WOMAN NAMED ALLISON SCHMITT.
HER CHILD GOES TO MINNEHAHA.
SHE SAYS CONSTRUCTION WAS GOING
ON IN THE BUILDING AND THERE
WAS A GAS LEAK AND PEOPLE HAD
ABOUT 15 SECONDS TO GET OUT
BEFORE THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION.
THAT CONFIRMS WHAT STEVEN
JOHNSON TOLD US.
ACCORDING TO HER SHE SAID
THE ENTIRE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL
IS GONE.
THAT IS ACCORDING TO HER
BECAUSE SHE HAS CHILDREN THAT
GO TO THE SCHOOL.
KENNY SMELL THE GAS AND OFFER
WHERE YOU ARE STANDING?
Reporter: YOU CAN CLEARLY
SEE THAT BEHIND ME.
THE WHOLE AREA WHERE THE SMOKE
IS RISING FROM THAT IS THE
WHOLE CENTER PART OF THE
BUILDING.
IT IS COMPLETELY ON THE GROUND.
TWO FLOORS OF THE BUILDING HAVE
COLLAPSED ONTO THE AREA OF
WHERE THE BOILER AND MECHANICAL
WOULD BE.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF
WORK WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
MECHANICAL TRUCKS BACKED UP TO
IT.
WE JUST SAW MINNEAPOLIS POLICE
ESCORTING A COUPLE OF PEOPLE
DOWN THE ROAD HERE APPARENTLY
FROM THAT MECHANICAL COMPANY AS
THE WORD OF THIS TRAGIC
EXPLOSION THIS MORNING STARTS
GETTING OUT.
ONE CONFIRMED DEAD FROM
MINNEAPOLIS FIRE AFTER SPEAKING
WITH THE RESCUE CREWS.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PART OF
MINNEAPOLIS IF YOU HAVE GONE
FOR A BIKE RIDE BEFORE.
IT IS A VERY LARGE AND
WONDERFUL SCHOOL.
IT WAS ROCKED BY THIS GAS
EXPLOSION AND BUILDING
COLLAPSE.
FROM LOOKING THROUGH THE SUMMER
SCHOOL PROGRAM CATALOG IT IS
OBVIOUSLY HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT CLASSES WERE IN SESSION
BUT FROM ALL I CAN TELL IT
LOOKED LIKE DRIVER'S ED AND
ADVANCED BAND WAS MEETING IN
THE UPPER SCHOOL.
MOST OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL
ACTION WAS IN THE LOWER SCHOOL.
CAN YOU GIVE US THE LAY OF THE
LAND -- I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS
QUESTION WHERE THE LOWER SCHOOL
WOULD BE IN COMPARISON TO WHERE
THIS EXPLOSION APPEARS TO BE
CENTERED?
Reporter: THE LOWER SCHOOL
IS DOWN -- WE ARE AT 31st AND
WEST RIVER PARKWAY.
THE LOWER CAMPUS IS ACTUALLY
DOWN AT AROUND 42nd.
IT IS A NUMBER OF BLOCKS SOUTH
OF HERE.
WE ARE AT ABOUT 31st AND WEST
RIVER PARKWAY AND 46 AVENUE.
WE ARE ON THE VERY WEST SIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THE SOCCER FIELD ON
THE BUILDING.
THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED DIRECTLY
ACROSS FROM A RACY THE
CONCENTRATION OF POLICE
OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS STILL
POURING WATER ONTO THE VERY HOT
PART OF THIS BUILDING.
AGAIN THE WHOLE CENTER PART OF
THE BUILDING HAS COME DOWN ON
TOP OF WHOEVER WAS INSIDE.
WE ARE BEING ASKED TO LEAVE AT
THIS POINT SO WE WILL THROW IT
BACK TO YOU.
I JUST WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU
FOR A SECOND BECAUSE
MINNEAPOLIS FIRE HAS JUST
TWEETED THAT THE FATALITY IS
NOW NOT CONFIRMED, WHICH WOULD
BE THE BEST CHANGE OF STORY
THEY CAN COME UP WITH.
BELIEVE ME, EVERYBODY WOULD BE
HAPPY TO HEAR THAT NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT.
SO MANY PARENTS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN.

Center Section Of Minnehaha Academy Destroyed

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