A freak gas leak blast levelled an upstate New York church Tuesday morning, sending four local firefighters and the pastor to the hospital in critical condition, state police said.
The disaster began to unfold shortly before 10:30 a.m., when firefighters from the town of Boonville in Oneida County were dispatched to the Abundant Life Fellowship church on reports of a gas leak.
Troopers said three firefighters and pastor Brandon Pitts were in the basement of the church when the furnace kicked in and triggered a massive gas explosion that demolished the building and sent the men flying.
“One firefighter was on the first floor attempting to ventilate the building at the time of the explosion and was thrown against the wall,” state police said in a press release. “The church sustained catastrophic damage and is considered destroyed.”
Police said Pitts, 43, and Boonville firefighters Nicholas Amicucci, 43, David Pritchard, 60, and Richard Czajka, 71, were taken to Upstate Hospital, while firefighter Allan Austin was taken to Wynn Hospital.
All five men were listed in stable but critical condition, state police said.
The church addressed the tragedy in a Facebook post hours after the explosion.
“Our pastor and another congregation member were present at church and had called the propane company to respond to an obvious gas leak,” the post said. “The two of them and a few other responders were in the building at the time of the explosion.
“They have burns that need medical attention but I think everyone will be just fine physically,” it said. “The building was nearly fully engulfed in flames and smoke when my husband and I left the scene, maybe 15 minutes after the explosion. Please just pray for peace, especially for Pastor Brandon.”
The mishap shut down southbound traffic on New York State Route 12 indefinitely, police said.
State police have launched an investigation into the blast but said Tuesday that “there is no indication of criminal activity at this time.”
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