Explosion rocks warehouse in Prince George's County, blows side off structure (VIDEO)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (ABC7) — An explosion rocked a Beltsville recycling center Friday morning, blowing one side of the building off, and covering nearby vehicles in ash and soot.
The explosion was reportedly caused by a pressurized gas cylinder, according to Public Information Officer Jennifer Donelan. It apparently came in on one of the morning loads, and when it hit the shredding unit, the cylinder exploded.
Donelan said the cylinder was at least three feet long, and they don't know what type of gas was in it. Nobody was injured and no hazardous material was released, according to Donelan.
SkyTrak7 footage from the scene can be seen below.
Prince George's Fire and EMS said the building was evacuated, and there was another explosion inside after they arrived, which appeared to be a recycling unit. Thankfully, there were no injuries. The active fire inside was quickly put out.
Additional surveillance video captured the moment the explosion occurred. Video shows employees running from the scene, siding blowing off the building, and a plume of dust billowing into the air.
