ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — People heard and felt a massive boom in the middle of the day Saturday in Northeast Albuquerque after an apartment exploded.
Two people are hurt, but officials are providing differing information on the cause.
The damage is clear. One unit has the door and walls blown off while nearby units also appear to be impacted. There’s glass and what used to be a family’s belongings, now reduced to debris.
“You felt it more than just heard it,” Shane Massey said. “It was a pretty intense boom.”
Saturday started like a normal day for Massey.
“It’s like 12:56 p.m. We’re playing pool inside the Moose Lodge,” Massey said. “And all of a sudden there’s this loud, massive boom, and it shook the whole building.”
Around one p.m. an apartment unit at the Village at Sandia on Central exploded. The Moose Lodge, where Massey was, is right across the street.
“It shook the whole building, all the sheetrock and ceiling tiles, they just released all this dust and stuff, and everything kind of fell down,” Massey said.
The apartment sits next to I-40, but even that traffic couldn’t mask the boom.
“Honestly, I thought a truck came off the interstate and fell in the back parking lot, and so that’s why we all ran outside. Like, what happened?” Massey said. “I thought it was a gun or a cannon. That’s what it sounded like—a freaking cannon going off.”
The camera on Massey’s car captured everything.
“In the video you can see exactly when it goes boom,” Massey said. “It looked like it came from right against the glass, because if you look at the explosion and the fire that came from it.”
Two people were hurt. One was hospitalized and the other was treated at the scene but not transported to the hospital.
What caused the explosion?
The cause remains unclear. Sunday, Albuquerque police said “all signs indicate a natural gas explosion.” But that doesn’t mean it was a gas leak.
The New Mexico Gas Company said it inspected the area and “found no indications” that it was its system, adding that “natural gas” can be caused by many sources. The company’s full statement is below.
Monday, Albuquerque Fire Rescue said the explosion was classified as accidental and the ignition source was undetermined.
“I’m amazed it didn’t catch fire. It just like blew up and then it just stopped. And there’s a few smoke that you know kind of rolled out the top, and then I’m like, I thought I was gonna go ahead and collapse the rest of it,” Massey said. “Just was a very eventful afternoon.”
How do residents feel?
But while that boom was near him, it was just mere inches from the people who live at that complex.
“There was a lot of kids in that building that exploded,” a resident said.
Some residents said it doesn’t matter what the cause is because they no longer feel safe.
“We’re going to be breaking our lease. A lot of people are. So, I felt that my kids were in danger. So I just kind of want to leave,” the same resident said. “I don’t want to be around to find out if anything else happens.”
Another video from Massey’s car captures the moment a possible victim exits the apartment.
“It actually shows a guy with no shirt on and shorts, like climbing through the rubble and come out to the front, and he looks like all shook up,” Massey said.
AFR says if investigators have any updates, they’ll pass those along.
Statement from AFR Monday
On October 10, 2026, at 13:08 hours, AFR Fire Investigators were dispatched to 12899 Central Ave NE in reference to an explosion at a multi-family, residential structure.
Fire Investigators conducted an examination of the involved apartments and interviews to determine origin and cause of the explosion.
Fire Investigators determined the explosion originated inside the involved apartment with damage to a neighboring unit.
The incident was classified as accidental with the ignition source undetermined.
No charges have been filed at this time.
Statement from NM Gas Company Monday
New Mexico Gas Company understands that the cause of the event has not yet been determined and that there are reports that the event was caused by “natural gas.” The term “natural gas” can sometimes refer to gases from a variety of sources, including appliances, propane or sewer gas. New Mexico Gas Company is responsible for maintaining its gas lines up to the gas meter. Piping, appliances and other equipment beyond the meter are the responsibility of the customer and/or property owner. NMGC inspected its system in response to Saturday’s event and found no indications that the event was related to NMGC’s system.
Statement from APD Sunday
A citizen called reporting that his apartment exploded. Officers arrived and saw minor burns on the tenants face, arms, and neck. He told officers he woke up, smelled gas, and his apartment exploded after he called 911 about the gas.
Bomb technicians inspected the site, and found no signs of improvised incendiary or explosive devices, and all signs indicated a natural gas explosion. There were no other propellant containers located.
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