On Thursday, public safety personnel found two bodies within the rubble.
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Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Capt. Oscar Garcia said that county fire and police officials and investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are resuming work at the Silver Spring apartment complex Friday morning. Hamill said four detectives were sorting through information Thursday evening trying to determine exactly who is missing following the explosion and fire.
Montgomery County police are working alongside federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to sift through the site in Silver Spring for clues to the cause of the August 10 blast, they said. Two people died and several others were unaccounted for in the explosion and three-alarm fire. Hamill said some people previously thought missing were located, but he said Friday authorities an exact number had not been finalized.
About 160 firefighters battled the blaze, which was brought under control after about two hours. Residents told NBC Washington they smelled gas in recent weeks, and some said they didn’t feel their complaints were taken seriously. “We are heartbroken. We are working continuously to assist displaced residents to find them homes”.
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said that a call about gas was made on July 25, but officials were still gathering information whether other complaints were made. While they have indication he may have been in the building at the time of the fire, no family members have come forward to say he is missing.
The scene of an apartment building fire in Silver Spring, Md., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016.
Officials announced that two people were killed, others are missing and more than 30 were taken to hospitals for treatment after the blast and fire late Wednesday. Three firefighters were also hurt. But officials have not been able to positively identify the bodies.
The extent of the damage the building suffered has slowed the recovery process, officials say.
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The blast, which was felt a mile away, tore through the four-story building shortly before midnight in Silver Spring, Maryland, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Chief Scott Goldstein said at a news briefing. Police did not release the identities of the dead and said an unknown number of residents are still unaccounted for. He said investigators have accounted for 110 residents of the buildings.
