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Dunwoody Apartments explosion: Three injured as Atlanta building partially collapses

"This is the second apartment building explosion/collapse in less than a year. WTF is going on, Dunwoody!?"

An Atlanta apartment complex partially collapsed after a gas line allegedly exploded on Sunday, September 12, injuring four people. Emergency personnel responded to the chaotic scene at 2000 Asbury Square in Dunwoody after the explosion left rubble and loose rock is strewn across the parking lot. Dunwoody Police announced via Twitter: "At 1:24pm, we received calls regarding an explosion at the Arrive Apartments. "We are on scene with the Dekalb Co. and Sandy Springs Fire Dept. This is a very active scene and the cause of the explosion is under investigation." Officials have not determined the cause of explosion.

The reports of the apartment collapse come as the Surfside condo collapse is still fresh in our minds. A multi-story structure in Miami's Surfside neighborhood partially collapsed on June 24, injuring several people and leaving many still accounted for. The Surfside condo collapse triggered fears of another tragedy among the residents of the Maison Grande Condominium, a Collins Avenue building in Miami Beach, close to where tragedy struck. There had been five inspections that determined the building as having an “unsafe structure". Social media, as a result, was abuzz with concern regarding a second apartment collapse in less than a year. 

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News reports suggest that three people have been injured so far, and many others are still trapped inside the building. Officer Robert Parsons told Fox News that one person had been taken to the hospital with "severe burns." He added that officers entering the building found a "strong odor of gas." Another officer told Channel 2 Action News that the explosion "fairly well blew the building to pieces." Police have urged nearby residents to remain inside, as all entrances and exits have been closed. "Please be patient and understand there is a huge incident scene ongoing right now," the announcement added. Police are investigating the source of the explosion. Roads around the building have been closed down.

A resident told CNN affiliate WGCL that before going to church Sunday morning, he smelled gas in the hallway and called the complex, telling them, "it's an issue. Obviously it's pretty heavy." "I jokingly said that if you light a match in here the whole building is going up," the resident said in a video WGCL posted on Twitter.

As soon as the latest news came to light, people started talking g about it on Twitter. One person said, "This is the second apartment building explosion/collapse in less than a year. WTF is going on, Dunwoody!?" Another one said, "Several agencies are responding to an explosion at the Arrive Apartments off Asbury Square in the Dunwoody Georgia with multiple injuries. Officials are asking people to avoid the area as the Perimeter Center North will be shut down."

Dunwoody Police further updated, "If you live in the Arrive Apartment and are not affected by the explosion, please remain in your home. The entrances/exits are closed off as the fire dept. works. Please be patient and understand there is a huge incident scene ongoing right now. @GARedCross has been notified." Antwone Williams, 32, who was working at a neighboring apartment complex at the time, said on Twitter he was "shaken up" after seeing an injured toddler screaming for help.

Atlanta Gas Light crews are also on site assisting emergency responders. At this time, natural gas has been turned off to the locations directly impacted by the incident, and there are no additional service outages.