Des Plaines condo building damaged by explosion

DES PLAINES, Ill. (WLS) -- A gas explosion caused damage to a condo building in northwest suburban unincorporated Des Plaines, fire officials said.

A brick wall partially collapsed, spilling debris onto the sidewalk and parking lot in the 9900-block of Linda Lane Thursday morning. Windows on the other side of the home were blown out. The glass and frames landed on the grass below.

A source said a one person was hurt - a woman was scratched in the face by flying debris. The source said no one else was injured.

The fire chief said the blast occurred in a garden unit.

Fire officials won't say the official cause of the explosion. But residents said they smelled gas and heard a mechanical sound before the explosion.

A resident association representative said they had been asking about utility work that was being done for weeks and not getting answers.

NICOR has turned off the gas.

Four residents were home at the time of the explosion. The building is being secured and no residents were allowed back in Thursday afternoon.

Daisy Roman awoke in her garden condo to find the ceiling on top of her. Eric Gonzalez was changing his infant nephew. Andrea Kamerman had just arrived after 9 a.m. The blast shattered her car window.

"Could have worse," Roman said. "Could have been really bad."