‘It was scary’: House explosion that injured 2 disrupts, unsettles neighborhood
SEFFNER, Fla. (WFLA) — Investigators are trying to figure out what caused a suburban Tampa house explosion that sent two people to the hospital.
The debris that scattered on the street Friday was a reminder of the panic some Seffner, Florida, families felt Thursday afternoon when the explosion occurred.
“We actually thought something was falling through our roof. It made us duck inside our house,” Andria Jones told NewsNation affiliate WFLA.
Neighbors say it wasn’t long before they realized what happened at the home. The right side of the house was blown off.
“At first it was hard to see because the smoke was so thick,” Jesadie Novo said. “All you see, pieces of the house, everything, falling apart.”
After the explosion, Novo said she quickly called 911 while another person rushed in to help the two injured individuals.
“They saw a man lying on the ground and he was bloody and they told him to stay down because of electric wires, then they heard the woman screaming for help,” Jones recalled.
“A sheriff and the neighbor pulled her out, and a neighbor pulled the man out of the debris too,” the other neighbor said.
“It was scary, especially seeing them, that was scary,” Jones added.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s deputies, bomb squad and ATF are all investigating the blast.