A powerful natural gas explosion rocked a busy Portland, Ore., shopping district Wednesday, injuring eight people and igniting a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke over the heart of the city. A building that housed a bagel shop and a beauty salon in the popular NW 23rd Street shopping district was reduced to rubble, and its smoldering roof was splayed across the road. Portland's NW 23rd Street — nicknamed "Trendy Third" — is packed with boutiques, bars and restaurants. But the explosion happened before 10 a.m., when many businesses were still closed, and first responders also had warning. The child had been evacuated from his daycare center just before the blast but heard the explosion and was scared, she said.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 19, 2016 20:52 UTC