"Devastating Gas Explosion Rocks Southeast D.C., Injures One and Forces Evacuation of Day Care"

Two gas explosions caused by a leaking natural gas leveled a convenience store and damaged buildings housing a day-care center and offices in Southeast D.C. Firefighters had evacuated the buildings less than 30 minutes before the blasts, possibly sparing 16 children in the day-care center from harm. One person was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. The explosions appeared to have happened after a vehicle struck a gas meter attached to one of the buildings during normal operations.