Tanks explode in car causing injuries, damage in Baltimore parking garage 

BALTIMORE — Crews responded to an explosion inside of a five-story parking garage Wednesday afternoon in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood.

Two people were taken to the hospital because of the explosion in the 800 block of S. Caroline Street.

Crews located a work van on the third floor of the parking garage that did explode.

"The explosion blew out glass windows in the garage, as well as cracks and indentation into the cement," Baltimore City Fire spokesperson Blair Adams. "We have evacuated all businesses within a one-mile radius of this area."

Adams said the explosion does not pose a threat to the community.

Baltimore City Fire

Officials said three tanks were found inside the SUV, or van. They said when the driver turned on the ignition, that's when the blast went off.

The bomb squad helped remove those tanks.

Adams said the driver of the van and a bystander suffered non-life-threatening injuries with minor burns to the face and neck areas.

"Glad I wasn’t there," said Gage Goettle, who lives next door. "My wall actually shares the wall that the firemen were all, and they’re checking the walls, and they couldn’t even get the exit doors open. The exit doors had actually blown so hard that it actually locked and shut."

WMAR Staff

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

"The explosion was so intense there's not much we can make out of the vehicle," Adams said. "So once our investigators are able to get in and get the three tanks outside, then we will further be able to investigate the vehicle and the gas inside the tanks."

Baltimore City Fire

Adams said, at this time, it couldn't be determined if the parking garage was condemned.

"We are incredibly lucky," Adams said. "It could have been a lot worse, just two people sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. We are very forunate with that."

This story will continue to be updated.