How to help residents impacted by Gaithersburg apartment explosion
GAITHERSBURG, Md. - A fire, explosion, and structural collapse at a Gaithersburg apartment complex injured 14 people and left several families dealing with the aftermath of losing their homes and personal belonging.
The incident happened on Wednesday morning at the Potomac Oaks Condominiums located in the 800 block of Quince Orchard Boulevard.
As a result of the tragedy, officials released information on how they are helping the victims, and how the public can help.
Fire and explosion at Gaithersburg apartment building
Almost a dozen people are in the hospital Wednesday night and many others are displaced after an explosion at an apartment complex in Gaithersburg. As they recover from their injuries, Montgomery County Fire says it plans to continue its search. The cause of the fire has not been determined yet, but many residents have questioned if this could have been prevented. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu reports from the scene of the explosion.
According to Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) officials, a fundraiser website and a nearby shelter have been set up to help the impacted residents.
The website is hosted by nonprofit organization Montgomery Housing Partners. 100 percent of the money donated to the site will go to those impacted by the tragedy, officials say. If you want to donate to those impacted by the tragedy click here.
Residents in need, can also find shelter at nearby Bohrer Park, located at 506 South Frederick Avenue. The park will be used as a reception center for DHHS and a shelter for families. The shelter will help impacted residents with securing future housing.
The Red Cross of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region disaster also announced that it is helping about 25 families who were impacted by the incident. The Red Cross says it is making sure that "families have basic needs met, including providing food, financial resources, emotional support and the replacement of medications, according to need."
Neighbors react to Gaithersburg apartment explosion
12 people were injured after a fire and explosion led to a structural collapse at an apartment complex in Montgomery County Wednesday morning, and video of the aftermath shows neighbors running to help the victims. FOX 5's Stephanie Ramirez spoke to some of those neighbors and has their reactions.
The Red Cross says they will continue to assist the impacted families for weeks to come, in order to provide additional recovery resources and make sure the families are on the road to recovery.
Anyone in need of Red Cross assistance can call 1-800-Red-Cross. All assistance is free.
FOX 5 also learned that a GoFundMe page has been set up for one of the victims to help with the unexpected expenses she and her kids now faces.
Sequoia Royster tells FOX 5 she was getting her son ready for school when the explosion happened. According to the GoFundMe page, Sequoia is a single mother of two children. The page says the family lost all of their belongings in the explosion.