Apartment Gas Explosion Injures 1, Displaces 40 In Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — A gas explosion and fire at a Markham Street apartment building injured one person Tuesday night, Atlanta Fire Rescue said.

Fire officials first alerted the public of the explosion around 11:15 p.m. They said it happened in the apartment complex's C building.

Forty people living nearby were displaced due to the incident, Atlanta Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Roman told reporters. The three-story vacant building was under renovation, he said.

"It's fortunate that it's vacant, under renovation," Roman said. "So, we're lucky in that sense that we only had the one victim; just the displaced families due to structural damage, not due to injuries or any other issue."

The person who was injured was treated and taken to a hospital, fire officials said.

The cause of the explosion was not revealed. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.

The apartment complex is 0.3 miles (1 minute) away from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.