A house explosion in Missouri injured six people, three seriously

A house exploded early Saturday in Missouri’s capital, injuring six people, including three seriously, fire officials said.

The explosion occurred at 2:44 a.m., according to a statement from the Jefferson City Fire Department. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

There were six people in the home at the time of the explosion. When emergency services arrived, they found all the victims among the rubble.

The house was so damaged that it took more than three hours for the fire department’s Special Operations Rescue Team to reach all the victims in the rubble, the statement said.

“The team had to carefully tunnel through layers of rubble to reach the last occupant, who required intensive extraction,” the fire department said.

Three of the home’s residents were in critical condition and three were in stable condition. Two pets were also rescued from the home and are now in the care of animal control, the department said.