(AP)
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A roaring explosion and fire in Indianapolis has killed two people and damaged more than a dozen homes. The Indianapolis Fire Department said in a statement this morning that two bodies were found during the night. Firefighters have been going through burned and damaged homes one by one after putting out the fire that started after the explosion at about 11pm last night. Four people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The victims' names have not yet been released.
The powerful nighttime blast shattered windows, crumpled walls and inflicted other damage on at least 14 other homes. Some witnesses said in televised reports that they heard people screaming "help me! help me!" "This looks like a war zone; it really does," a fire department spokeswoman said.An investigation on the cause of the blast by fire and other agencies was under way. Reports said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also was involved. Many people were asleep at the time and had to be evacuated in pajamas, scooping up pets as they left hastily, authorities said. "I was sleeping on the sofa and all of a sudden, my upstairs windows were blowing out and my front door was falling in," says one woman. "My front door came off the frame. It was the largest bang I've ever heard."
