2 trapped in exploded Detroit store rubble

WAYNE, Mich. (AP) — A family-owned furniture store in suburban Detroit exploded and collapsed in what appeared to be a natural gas explosion today, trapping three people in the rubble.

Rescuers pulled the store’s owner from the debris and he is in critical condition, Wayne City Manager John Zech told a news conference. Search and rescue teams continued to hunt for two others, who police said are employees at the William C. Franks store.

“They’re dealing with a lot of debris,” said Inkster Deputy Police Chief Hilton Napoleon, who was assisting other officers in below-freezing temperatures at the scene. “They’ve got to be careful so they don’t cause any more explosions. You don’t know if there are any other flammables in there.”

Wayne Deputy Chief Fire Marshall Shawn Dell said rescue crews were dialing the cell phones of the people presumed buried beneath the rubble in the hope that the sound of the phones ringing would help locate them. Those efforts have not been successful. Bobcats and front loaders also moved around the area.