Gas explosion levels Waukegan strip mall

Firefighters used airbags to lift the debris off the woman, who was estimated to be in her 20s.

"She couldn't talk to us but she was awake," he said. "There weren't any visible injuries besides some blood, but no sign of broken bones. By the way she was acting though, you could tell she was severely injured."

The woman was in serious condition at Vista Medical Center East. The man and six other victims were released, Gallagher said. One person was treated and released at the scene.

Waukegan Deputy Fire Chief Dan Young said he expects the injuries will be from debris and smoke inhalation, as the building was engulfed in flames when crews arrived.

All of the injuries were to people inside the building.

Young said the explosion occurred in the back of Cleopatra's Unisex Hair Salon, 1920 Grand Ave.

The blast was so strong that a metal security bar that was attached to the back of the building flew across the alley and hit a garage. Gallagher said that if someone had been walking by at the time he or she would have been seriously injured or killed.

"It's amazing there were no fatalities," he said. "The brick from the back of the building is now sitting in the middle of the room."

Tony Cruz was getting a haircut there at the time of the explosion.

He spoke to reporters through interpreter Tony Lorrando, with half his hair cut and a scratch on his left leg.

"He heard a boom and that's it," Lorrando said. "A few minutes later, there was an explosion. All of a sudden, the ceiling was falling down."

Jim Davila, who owns a construction and remodeling business in a connected building, said windows were blown out up and down the block and across the street.

"The first thing I thought was a car ran into my building because it shook so bad. It sounded like a bomb hit," he added.

At least 10 businesses along Grand Avenue sustained damage, Young said. Sixteen jurisdictions responded to the call with emergency equipment.

The building that exploded housed four individual businesses including Cellular Concepts Inc., Cleopatra's, and Tuxedo World. The name of the fourth business was unclear Thursday.

"Whatever they were, they aren't any more," Davila said.

He said he saw an owner of one of the businesses running from the wreckage covered in blood.

"I don't know how the man got out, but he was yelling that his wife was stuck inside the building," Davila said. "I find it hard to believe anybody got out."

Desiree Rogers, president of North Shore Gas, confirmed the explosion involved natural gas but said officials wouldn't know the exact cause until Friday.

"We've been busy securing the scene," she said. "Tomorrow we'll get in there and be begin investigating."

Kimberly Morales, owner of Grand Audio, 1925 Grand Ave., said her 19-year-old son, Josh, was working in the store at the time of the explosion.

"It was slow so he was standing in front of the window and saw the building explode right in front of him," she said. "The first thing he did was run over and try to help."

Rebekah Podyma, who, with her husband, Gary, owns the Living Foods Pantry at 1921 Grand Ave., said the explosion was so loud she wasn't sure what had happened. Even after seeing the effects, she said it was hard to process what was going on.

"If someone had been on the street they would have been killed," she said. "We had 100 feet of 6 (foot) by 6 (foot) glass panes shatter."

After the initial noise of the explosion, the Podymas began seeing the victims coming out of the buildings.

"Our only saving grace is the fire department is only three blocks away," Rebekah Podyma said. "The response was instant."