Philadelphia residents begin rebuilding after deadly explosion: "It looked like the end of the world"
The day after a powerful explosion leveled part of a Nicetown block, neighbors are returning home — the beginning of a long recovery.
The explosion, which occurred Sunday morning on the 1900 block of West Bristol Street, killed one woman and left two others hospitalized, including a longtime employee of the Philadelphia City Council. The blast partially collapsed three rowhomes and forced dozens of nearby residents to evacuate.
As of Monday, police confirmed that two of the most damaged homes would be demolished. City agencies, including the fire and police departments, and representatives from the Red Cross and Salvation Army, went door to door assisting residents and assessing structural concerns.
For Damir Noland, who lives with family members on nearby Bonitz Street, just behind the blast site, the scene was surreal.
"When I came outside, it looked like the end of the world," Noland, 27, said. "It looked like it was snowing, and a lot of smoke. I didn't know what was going on. I really thought it was a bomb first, like a bomb just went off."
Inside Noland's home, the impact blew the back door off its hinges. While the electricity has been restored, the gas remains off in many homes.
"We're trying to fix it as we go," he said. "A little bit at a time."
City officials opened Edward T. Steel School as a temporary shelter Sunday. On Monday, it remained open as a community support hub, where volunteers handed out food, water and supplies.
"They got the school open for us, so that is good," Noland said. "They got food and stuff for us. They ordered a pizza. They got food trucks."
Noland described the chaos and confusion that erupted right after the explosion.
"It was crazy. I never saw nothing like that in my life," he said. "As soon as [my mom] heard the boom, she just ran off the block."
Despite the destruction, Noland praised the quick response of emergency crews.
"The firefighters did a good job. They was here in 2.5 seconds, getting it put out and everything," he said. "If they wasn't as fast as they was, it could have been a lot worse. So yeah, shout out to the firefighters."
Neighbors told CBS News Philadelphia they're thankful no more lives were lost.
"Looking at it, you would be surprised," said Tangie, who lives a few doors down from the explosion.
Despite her faith, she said she can't help but worry about their own safety as the days go on.
"It's scary. It has you like, (thinking) do you even want to stay on this block?" she said. "Do you even want to continue to live here because what happened? Could it happen again?"
City officials have not yet determined the cause of the explosion. An investigation is ongoing.
