A powerful explosion rocked a residential area in Northwest Austin on Sunday morning, severely damaging a two-story home and shaking surrounding neighbourhoods for miles. Emergency crews responded to the incident around 11:25 am (local time) at 10407 Double Spur Loop, near Spicewood Springs Road and US 183.
According to the Austin Fire Department (AFD), the house collapsed following an “unknown event,” and one person trapped inside the rubble was pulled out by firefighters and handed over to Austin-Travis County EMS medics for treatment.
As per CBS Austin, ATCEMS confirmed “multiple patients” were involved, although the exact number and severity of injuries have not been disclosed.
Footage and images shared online captured the devastation, with residents seen walking through the debris and large sections of the neighbourhood cordoned off.
According to The Express, the blast caused “massive shockwave damage” to nearby homes, with burned insulation scattered across the street and people describing how it “shook buildings for miles.”
“I was in my house and suddenly everything rattled. I thought something hit the building,” one resident posted online. Another wrote, “Anybody else hear and feel a huge explosion in NW Austin just now?”
Emergency services have sealed off a wide area around the collapsed property, while neighbouring homes, some of which sustained heavy structural damage, have been evacuated as a safety precaution.
As per KVUE, residents in the area described hearing a thunderous noise, and smoke was seen billowing from the site shortly after the explosion.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
According to Fox 7 Austin, officials have not yet confirmed the identity or medical condition of the individual rescued from the debris, nor have they offered a timeline for when residents might return to their homes.
Authorities from surrounding jurisdictions, including the Leander and Cedar Park Police Departments, clarified that while the explosion was heard in their cities, the incident itself occurred in Austin. “We are aware of the loud ‘boom’ that was heard and felt throughout the city,” Cedar Park Police stated on social media, emphasising the incident did not happen within their boundaries.
As of now, the AFD and other local agencies are working to determine what triggered the explosion.