By Nicholas P. Alajakis
Chicago Sun-Times
Copyright 2008 Chicago Sun-Times
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WAUKEGAN, Ill. — Eight people were injured when a powerful explosion rocked a tiny Waukegan strip mall Thursday afternoon.
The roof and walls of Cleopatra’s Hair Salon and Tuxedo World collapsed and caved in following an apparent gas explosion.
The blast was felt up to a half mile away.
Five people were hospitalized at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, while three were treated at the sceneon the 1900 block of Grand Avenue.
All but one was expected to be released Thursday evening from the hospital.
‘People were fortunate’
“I’d say people were fortunate,” Waukegan Fire Chief Patrick Gallagher said. “With the extent of the collapse, it’s very possible that they could have been killed.”
The explosion occurred in the rear of the buildings, just after noon.
Retired Waukegan police officer Mike Sellers was less than 50 yards from the buildings when they exploded.
“All I saw was a bunch of smoke and I heard a ‘woosh’ noise,” Sellers said.
Sellers said he immediately called police and then went into the burning building himself. When he went inside the building, he pulled two people out before paramedics arrived. Those two were the most seriously injured, he said.
Sellers’ work and the work of rescuers on the scene helped keep serious injuries to a minimum, said Deputy Fire Chief Dan Young. While crews were extinguishing flames, other firefighters were inside the beauty salon rescuing customers.
When crews first arrived, mannequins from the tuxedo shop, as well as other debris, were scattered on Grand Avenue. The mannequins initially looked like bodies, which caused a panic, Young said. Firefighters could not confirm the cause of the explosion late Thursday. In all likelihood, it was a gas explosion in the rear of the building, Young said.
Heather Jones of Zion said she came out of the cell phone shop adjacent to the beauty salon just minutes before the incident.
“The explosion was so great. It felt like something ran into my car. It shook us,” she said.
Bonnie Johnson, a spokeswoman for North Shore Gas Co., said her company did not know if the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak.
“Until we get in there we can’t do an investigation,” Johnson said.
There was a strong gas odor immediately following the explosion, said Jim Davila, who owns Davila and Associates just east of the buildings.