At least eight construction workers were injured when a home being built in South Fork, about 40 miles west of Alamosa, exploded Tuesday afternoon.
Some of the injured were taken to Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte, but at least six were airlifted to Denver-area facilities, according to the Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office. The explosion occurred about 1 p.m.
No information was available on the extent of the injuries.
A preliminary investigation suggests “the cause to be a combination of fumes and heating fuel ignited by space heaters,” according to a news release from authorities.
“There’s nothing left but the roof,” a witness who was two doors away told 9News.
He said he believed there were eight or nine people inside the home putting up drywall.
9News reported that the South Fork Fire Department said propane leaked from a space heater in the basement and ignited when workers lit another space heater.
The TV station said the fire department believed 13 people were injured.
Flight for Life and Airlife Denver helped in transporting the victims. Some were reported to have been airlifted to University Hospital in Aurora, St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver and Swedish Medical Center in Englewood.
Photos taken by the Valley Courier newspaper in Alamosa showed about half of the home blown apart. Some of the walls remained standing.
