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Explosion In Whitehall Critically Injures Three

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WHITEHALL (KDKA) – Horrific, chaotic and frightening.

That's how neighbors describe the explosion that rocked a Whitehall neighborhood and critically injured three workers installing flooring. They were using chemicals in the basement on a McKee Drive home when the vapors hit an ignition source.

whitehall explosion
Photo Credit: Mike Harber/KDKA

"I just heard a loud boom then glass shattering and a ton of screaming," neighbor Carllie Reck said.

Reck went on to say that the frightening incident even shook her house. She said a fireball even went outside the house and hit a car.

"I heard the boom at first and I heard the screams so I came outside," said Ashley Sites, a nurse who ran to help. "I saw one of the victims standing outside screaming, 'Help! Help!' I said, 'Get towels, we need water, we need to keep their skin moist because of the clothing.' I didn't know what kind of burns."

Meghan Schiller's Report:

Fire Chief Eric Harris said the three critically injured people were sent to UPMC Mercy Hospital for treatment.

"There was a chemical, I guess, and they were burned really bad," Harris said. "I don't know what degree burns they have yet, I have not heard."

A mom and a son in the house were not injured.

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