Red Cross assists 100 affected by Silver Spring apartment explosion

The Red Cross gave out meals, hygiene kits and tote bags over the weekend to about 100 affected residents of an apartment that went up in flames Thursday after an explosion. (Courtesy Red Cross NCGC)
The Red Cross gave out meals, hygiene kits and tote bags over the weekend to about 100 affected residents of an apartment that went up in flames Thursday after an explosion. (Courtesy Red Cross NCGC)
The Red Cross gave out meals, hygiene kits and tote bags over the weekend to about 100 affected residents of an apartment that went up in flames Thursday after an explosion. (Courtesy Red Cross NCGC)
The Red Cross gave out meals, hygiene kits and tote bags over the weekend to about 100 affected residents of an apartment that went up in flames Thursday after an explosion. (Courtesy Red Cross NCGC)
What was left of an apartment building in the Friendly Garden apartment complex after an explosion and fire Thursday. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
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Work continued over the weekend to help about 100 people who lost their homes to an explosion in Silver Spring, Maryland, that happened Thursday.

The Red Cross held an informational meeting Sunday, so affected residents of the Friendly Garden Apartments could learn about available resources and the recovery process. Meals, hygiene kits and tote bags were also given out to the about 100 people affected.

The blast sent 14 people to the hospital, seven remained there as of Friday afternoon, including two children, according to Montgomery County Fire and EMS. Fire investigators said they found a cut gas line in the basement of the apartment building, but the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.



“Our thoughts are with the individuals and families who have suffered loss due to this horrific incident,” Curt Luthye, executive director for the Red Cross of Montgomery, Howard and Frederick Counties, said in a news release. “Our trained volunteers stand ready to support those with disaster-caused needs, for as long as help is needed.”

 

Thomas Robertson

Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

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