| By NBC News and wire reports An explosion set off by a natural gas leak injured several people and destroyed or damaged several buildings in downtown Springfield, Mass., on Friday afternoon. People were knocked off their feet by the blast, which left sidewalks littered with glass from blown out windows, NBC affiliate WWLP-TV reported. Ambulance crews were still treating victims, as helicopters buzzed overhead into the evening. A local hospital said eight people were being treated there, though none were in critical condition, WWLP reported. The blast was heard for miles and one of the buildings destroyed was a strip club that had just been evacuated due to a strong natural gas odor. A dancer at the club told The Springfield Republican that she was on stage dancing when the evacuation order came. While she was gathering her clothes, she said, the manager came up and told everyone, "I don't care if you're (expletive) naked or not, get out." "I feel lucky we got out," said the dancer, identified only as Debbie. She said all her work clothes were lost. At a restaurant two blocks away, waitress Stephanie Simmons said the blast shocked customers. "It rocked us so hard the windows smashed," she told The Springfield Republican. "It felt like an earthquake or a large explosion. There was pretty much chaos." Springfield is the largest city in western Massachusetts with a population of about 150,000. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More content from NBCNews.com:
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11/23/2012
Blast tied to natural gas leak rips Mass. city
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