LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) – A large explosion on Friday in a south Los Angeles commercial building has killed at least one person after hurling several people into the street, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

A violent natural gas explosion rocked the two-story building which contained a commercial welding operation. The explosion took place around 6:15 a.m. Friday morning, causing the front of the structure to collapse.

The explosion caused three people to be thrown violently to the street, some wedged underneath parked cars. Over 100 fire fighters arrived to respond to the explosion. The explosion was powerful enough to cause major structural damage to the building.

The fire was put out in 25 minutes and the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team was called in to search for possible victims within the collapsed structure.

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