Blast Rocks Building in Santa Fe
S A N T A F E, N.M., April 25 -- Rescue workers could hear sounds from a womanburied in the rubble of an insurance building explosion this afternoon, a television reporter on the scene said.
Rescue workers have blocked off major intersections around theone-story building that houses the Northern Insurance Co. Atelevision picture from a helicopter showed part of the roofcollapsed, walls blown out and debris littering a nearby street.
A second woman was taken to St. Vincent Hospital, where she waslisted in serious condition with burns, said hospital spokeswomanKaren Plyler.
Witnesses reported hearing screams from beneath the debris after theexplosion, KOB television reporter Peter Olsen said. Firefighters,ambulances and police officers were sent to the scene at a smallshopping center near the intersection of the major thoroughfares ofSt. Francis and Cerrillos.
"We don't know whether the explosion was an accident, whetherit was purposeful, whether it was related to legitimate activity orillegitimate activity," police Chief John Denko said.
Denko, who was not on the scene, declined to discuss theseverity of the blast, but said, "I know that from my information,the explosion wasn't a minor one, let's put it that way."
Deputy Chief Beverly Lennen said the explosion did not appear tobe from a bomb, and speculated it was more likely something like agas explosion.
"Cerrillos Road is not passable due to debris and emergencyvehicles," she said.
Olsen said witnesses told him they could hear a woman screamingfrom beneath the rubble. He said that when firefighters arrived onthe scene, about 20 people were digging through the debris,searching for victims, and were reluctant to leave.
Gas to the building has been turned off as a precaution.
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