OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Wednesday afternoon, Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) released video that shows the very moment an explosion destroyed a laundromat and injured four people.
A security camera across the street from the Classic Laundromat captured the blast. The 9 second video captures the fiery explosion that destroyed the laundromat and heavily damaged several other neighboring businesses in a strip mall at 1423 NE 25th Ave. in Ocala.
The explosion happened on Tuesday, July 30, around 6 p.m. In the video, you can see a person running away from the building to escape the danger moments after the explosion.
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The cause is being investigated but witness said they smelled gas and authorities confirm the laundromat’s dryers were powered by natural gas.
OFR says investigators are also looking into the building’s structural updates and historic permits to identify the cause of the incident.
The agency also confirms the strip mall was built in 1973 and a laundromat has been in that location the entire time.
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A public information officer says video cameras inside the laundromat were destroyed by the bast.