PENSACOLA, Florida — At approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday night, an apparent gas explosion at the Escambia County Central Bookling Facility and Detention Center located at 1190 W. Leonard Street in Pensacola, Florida has killed two people and more than 100 prisoners and corrections officers have been injured, according to Escambia County officials.
The injured prisoners are being transported to area hospitals. Uninjured inmates are being moved to other detention facilites in Escambia County and neighboring Santa Rosa County. Roughly 600 prisoners were in the building at the time of the gas explosion.
The Pensacola area had been hard hit by massive flooding earlier this week, prompting closures of several local government buildings, including the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Florida Governor Rick Scott had toured the flood ravaged area on Wednesday that was declared under a state of emergency.