NORTH BEND, Wash. — A massive explosion at a North Bend business destroyed three buildings and damaged several others, blowing out windows and doors.
By daylight, a pile of rubble was all that was left of some businesses.
See photos of the rubble and aftermath here.
"It's very, very hard to wake up and everything you've worked for so many years is gone. Just, boom," said Michele Dunbar, owner of Cutters Hair and Nail Salon.
State investigators are trying to determine what caused the dance studio, which was being renovated, to blow up. The studio was formerly the home of Pizza Place. Residents noticed the studio was being renovated and was about to open as a restaurant again in a few weeks.
An administrator from the City of North Bend said the city had issued permits for improvements to the structure. One of those issued was a gas permit in late March. While work is being done, the city conducts inspections. The last inspection was a little more than two weeks ago, and inspectors found no code violations.
Initial reports indicate the blast was a natural gas explosion, but the cause may not be known for days, according to Eastside Fire.
Puget Sound Energy crews contained the natural gas and technicians conducted natural gas leak surveys of the area to ensure the natural gas system was safe.
“She turned off the gas. She turned off everything and she called 911," said Ahmad Shekh.
Debris was strewn across several blocks and some was left hanging from power lines. At one point, power had been cut off to 1,500 residents.
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