At least 1 hurt in gas explosion at Bremerton motel

Firefighters on the scene at the time of the explosion were blown back 20 feet.

The injured man suffered second- and third-degree burns and was airlifted to a Seattle hospital, located across the Puget Sound from Bremerton.

The search is on for two missing guests who remain unaccounted for after an earth-shaking gas explosion Tuesday night at a Bremerton motel.

Police said the report of the gas leak came at 7:54 p.m. The motel was being evacuated when the explosion occurred at 8:24 p.m.

NBC News cited a local resident who said the explosion was so massive that it was like a bomb went off. “I wanted to make sure all my guests were out”.

Beth Olson added further that she could feel the explosion in her eardrums and when she ran outside of her house to witness the matter it was dead silent.

Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan told The Associated Press there were no initial reports of anyone trapped inside, and just one possible injury.

“The management did a really good job of getting the alarm in right away and getting the evacuation started”, Strachan said.

The motel had about 65 guests in 42 occupied rooms, and the blast destroyed about one-quarter of the building, Hinds said.