Pensacola, Florida had its rainiest day ever Tuesday (April 29) when a local Florida jail severely flooded, causing an explosion that killed two inmates and injured over a hundred others.
The explosion, caused by a gas leak, erupted in the medium security jail’s central booking, where 600 inmates are housed. Injured correctional officers and inmates were taken to an area hospital for minor injuries. Unharmed inmates were transferred to a local detention facility. Three inmates remain missing. Sheriff David Morgan said the missing inmates could be dead inside the jail or escaped amidst the chaos.
Nearly two feet of rain poured into Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle Tuesday, and the downpour continued into Wednesday. The jail was flooded for two days, according to Escambia County spokeswoman, Kathleen Dough-Castro. In the explosion, the roof and a jail house wall collapsed.
Families of inmates waited anxiously for news about their loved ones. Clarrissa Prim of Pensacola stood for three hours outside the jail, awaiting information about the status of her imprisoned brother.
“It’s frustrating when you wake up to people on the street telling you that the jail just exploded,” Ms. Prim said. “We tried to go to the hospital, but it’s on lock. Where is the information? Just let me know my people are OK.”
In an interview, Sheriff Morgan said the building is likely to be a total loss.
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