At least three people including a child have been killed in an explosion and massive fire at a Dallas apartment building07:23, 29 May 2026Updated 07:48, 29 May 2026An explosion and massive fire at a Dallas apartment building killed a child and at least two other people on Thursday.‌It followed a blast that shook nearby homes while firefighters were rushing to a reported gas leak, officials said. At least five people also went to hospitals with injuries, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans said.‌It is unclear how many residents lived in the two-story complex in the Oak Cliff neighborhood south of downtown Dallas, where a towering plume of black smoke was visible for miles.‌Evans did not rule out that more victims could be found as crews continued to sift through the charred building. By late Thursday, Evans said firefighters had searched less than half of the scene by hand and that some areas would require excavation. "This was enormous," Evans said of the fire.Firefighters were responding to a reported gas leak when an explosion happened. "We had the cavalry coming," Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry said. "But the explosion had already taken place."‌Atmos Energy, a natural gas provider, said they were told by fire officials that a construction crew unrelated to the company had damaged a pipeline near the site of the fire.Kacee Proctor, a resident of the apartment building, said her mother had smelled gas inside a day earlier, but Proctor didn't think much of it at the time. She wasn't home during the blast and was devastated that her cat, Shirley, was stuck inside."I've been sitting over there crying for several hours. I don't know what to do. This is all I have right here," Proctor said, gesturing to the clothes she was wearing.‌Natural gas service to the area remained shut off, and company officials were working with investigators on-site, the company said.Authorities set up a family reunification center at a nearby high school. Several hours after the blaze, Frances Rizo was still trying to find her friend who lived in the building. "She's not answering her phone," Rizo said.‌Firefighters rushed to the scene as flames and black smoke billowed into the sky. Some trained their hoses on piles of smoking debris while others removed lumber and other burned wreckage to look for anyone trapped underneath. Little more than a blackened shell of the original building remains."The fire is contained, but our members are still working on the scene to do primary searches," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief James Russ.Julie Jensen said she was at home less than a block from the burning building when she heard a noise like an explosion that left her ears ringing. "I was sitting on my couch watching TV - stuff flew off our walls," Jensen said.Article continues belowJensen said she saw rising smoke and neighbors running when she looked out the window. She grabbed her family's cat and left, finding a nearby parking lot to wait until she knew it was safe to return.Sal De La Rosa was at work at a nearby auto repair shop when "all of a sudden we just heard and felt this huge boom." "We felt where the building kind of shook a little bit," De La Rosa said.