Fiery Explosion After Natural Gas Line Ruptures in Minneapolis, Forcing Evacuations

A natural gas line explosion in Minneapolis on Thursday sent flames shooting into the air and forced residents to evacuate the area, MyFoxTwinCities.com reports.

Fire officials told the station that a gas line ruptured causing a fiery explosion at around 8:45 a.m. in the street in front of a Cub Foods supermarket. Witnesses said the fireball appeared to be 200 to 300-feet high, according to the station.

Assistant fire chief Cherie Penn said no injuries have so far been reported.

"The best thing we can let it do is burn until we can shut it off, and that’s exactly what we did in this instance," Penn said, adding that the air quality is safe in the area.

Highways are starting to reopen following the explosion. The northbound lanes of Interstate 35W were reopened just before 11 a.m. Highway 62 was also reopened. The southbound lanes of I-35W, which are closer to the site,

Authorities have also lifted the evacuation order for the neighborhood except the immediate area around the grocery store.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Click here for more on the explosion from MyFoxTwinCities.com

Gas Line Explosion at 60th and Nicollet, Highways Closed: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com