Witnesses say blast felt like earthquake

LAS VEGAS - Investigators planned to return to the rubble of an apartment building today, seeking clues to the cause of a blast that left neighbors fearing an earthquake and caused damage reminiscent of a tornado.

Four people were injured in the blast Monday, none seriously.

"It's a miracle no one was killed," Tim Szymanski, spokesman for the Las Vegas Fire Department, said Tuesday. "The destruction looks like what you'd see from a building that took a direct hit from a tornado."

Fire investigators ruled out the possibility that the explosion was caused by a drug lab inside an apartment.

"There was no evidence of any type of that illegal activity," Szymanski said.

Southwest Gas Corp. conducted pressure tests in and around the building, but determined that a gas leak was not the cause, he said.

Szymanski said there were eight people in the four apartments when the blast occurred. Surrounding four-plexes at the La Fiesta Apartments were also damaged by the blast and 62 people were displaced. The American Red Cross helped the victims find temporary housing.

The Clark County Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue Team used sophisticated cameras to sort through the rubble for possible victims. A German Shepherd from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's canine unit was also used to look for possible victims.

Szymanski said the blast apparently occurred in the upper level of the two-story building.

"The guy in the next apartment thought there had been a severe earthquake," Szymanski said. "He grabbed his kids and got out."

Broken glass and debris was found two blocks from the site.

Szymanski said it could be two or three days before a cause is determined.

Heavy equipment was on the scene Tuesday, moving and shoring up debris to prevent it from falling on investigators.

There was no damage estimate as of Tuesday afternoon.

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