Explosion at New York church injures five; witnesses say they smelled gas odour before incident

An explosion occurred at Abundant Life Fellowship Church on State Route 12 in the town of Boonville, New York, leaving five people injured. The New York State police have started the investigation. The authorities said that the first responders were dispatched around 10.23 am (US time) after reports of a gas odour inside the church, and witnesses told investigators they smelled gas before the explosion.

In a statement to Newsweek, state police said a Boonville firefighter was inside the building during the response when the blast occurred, and that two people — the firefighter and one civilian — were in critical condition, while three others suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening.The church sustained catastrophic damage and was considered destroyed, officials said, adding there was no indication of criminal activity and that the building was heated by propane cylinders.In a statement posted by the church, a congregant said the pastor and another member had called a propane company to report an apparent gas leak before the explosion and were among those injured, describing the incident as a developing situation.The cause of the explosion remained under investigation as state police and fire officials continued working at the scene.