BOONVILLE, N.Y. — A firefighter was hurt in an explosion that occurred at Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Boonville, Oneida County, N.Y., on Tuesday morning, the New York State Police said.
First responders arrived at the church on State Route 12 around 10:23 a.m. for a report of a gas odor inside the church. A preliminary investigation indicated that the people inside it reported smelling the gas before it exploded.
The state police said a Boonville Fire Department firefighter entered the church during the response. The explosion occurred when they were inside the building.
Five people were taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica for treatment. The firefighter and a civilian are listed in critical condition, the police said.
The other three individuals’ injuries are considered non-life-threatening.
The police described the damage to the church as “catastrophic.” Video from WKTV showed that the church was destroyed. Its top half was gone and the remaining pieces of the structure were charred by smoke and fire. Firefighters could be seen dousing the fire from ladders.
In a post on the church’s Facebook page, a churchgoer said that the pastor and another congregant were in the church when the explosion happened. She said they suffered burns.
The state police said that as of Tuesday afternoon, there are no signs of any criminal activity involved in the explosion. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
The Boonville Fire Department, Boonville Ambulance, Remsen FD, Barneveld FD, Stittville FD, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Northstar Ambulance, Oneida County Emergency Services, AmCare Ambulance, Forestport Fire Department and Kuyahoora Ambulance responded.