In a shocking turn of events, an explosion broke out in Dallas’ apartment complex, reportedly situated in the Oak Cliff area near East Ninth Street and Patton Avenue. The fire was reportedly so massive that it sent debris across the neighborhood on Thursday. The aftermath of the unfortunate event left several people injured, while three were killed.

According to ABC News, Dallas Fire Rescue Assistant Chief James Russ, the incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m., and continued to “escalate and upgrade” to a five-alarm fire. He added that since then, fire has been controlled, and firefighters are performing probes at the location and detecting the area for victims, if any, through drones. Multiple news clips from the scene showed emergency crews searching through the debris.

Another report by the Independent suggests that the number of residents living in the building remains unclear, while some localities expressed their concern over missing friends and family members. Dozens of firefighters searched through the smoking remains of the building near downtown Dallas while other crews continued spraying water on the burned debris.

Per Dallas Fire-Rescue, a child and at least two other people are dead, while at least five injured people were sent to hospitals.

Meanwhile, in an official statement, Atmos Energy, a natural gas provider, claimed that a construction crew not linked with the company had damaged a pipeline near the site of the fire. The company stated that the natural gas service had to be shut down while company officials were working with investigators on-site.

As part of the rescue operation, a family reunification center has been set up at a nearby school. An ABC News report quoted officials as saying that the city would be providing hotel accommodations for the displaced residents.

According to Dallas Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry, firefighters were responding to a reported gas leak when the explosion occurred. He stated that the cavalry was coming, but the explosion had already taken place. “There have been fatalities at this point,” Berry said, further adding that the effort shifted from a rescue mission to a recovery operation. He also requested patience and asked the media to let them work through the recovery phase to get a total number.

During the conference, Dallas Assistant Chief Scott Pacot stated that it was challenging from the very beginning, insisting that the fire was “expanding with multiple aspects of hazards that had to be addressed.

The ABC News report quoted the Dallas Department of Transportation and Public Works, which stated that there was no active work in that area at the time of the incident. The apartment complex is

During a press briefing, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson noted that it marked the first day of summer holidays for the Dallas Independent School District. “We need to pray for these folks who are affected by this and for our entire city,” he added.

On the other hand, neighbors spoke with the ABC Dallas Affiliate WFAA, sharing they heard a “very big explosion” and “loud boom” and then heard people’s screams and witnessed smoke.