Downtown Rochester explosion that injured 7 traced to on-fire propane tank
ROCHESTER, Mich. (FOX 2) - Video of a scary scene in downtown Rochester began with the arrival of a police cruiser, which showed a deputy getting out and heading to the trunk.
His demeanor is calm. So are the bystanders standing around 423 Main Street on Saturday night. But as he retrieves a fire extinguisher and prepares to head inside a local business, a burst of fire erupts from the storefront.
Video from across the street and from within Cafe 316 were the first to see the explosion, which injured seven people.
"It was pretty chaotic," said Khurrum Pirzada, who witnessed the scene.
The investigation into the weekend explosion is still ongoing, but preliminary reports point to a chain reaction that started with a decorative torch catching on fire. That's what spurred the initial call from authorities.
Then, to everyone's horror and shock, the propane tank that was fueling the torch blew up.
"I looked - I heard the explosion - I looked over, there was a big flash of fire at the doorway and then I heard people upset. Obviously, those were the people that were injured and they were tended to on the sidewalk just south of the entrance," said Pirzada.
Five of the seven people who were injured were hospitalized.
Over the weekend, investigators described the carnage as mayhem.
"The business to the north, the neon sign fell right in front of the building and the top of the propane tank is right at the light. That’s how far it (the explosion) threw it," said Rochester Police Chief George Rouhib.
The business owner where the explosion happened declined to speak on camera. However, he told FOX 2 he feels terrible about what happened and says he will no longer be using the decorative torches.
