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2 hospitalized after house explosion in Montgomery County

Collapse and rescue teams were at the scene of the collapsed home working to stabilize the structure, officials say.

LAYTONSVILLE, Md. — Three people are injured and two of them were hospitalized after a house explosion in Laytonsville, Maryland Tuesday morning, according to Montgomery County Public Information Officer Jason Blake. 

The incident happened around 8 a.m. at the corporate offices of Ruppert Landscape. The explosion caused "significant damage and a partial collapse" to the property.

A half dozen employees of a Montgomery County landscaping company are likely alive because of a quick-thinking facilities manager. Bill Law smelled gas and got everyone out of the building just before it exploded -- but he and a propane gas worker were badly hurt, according to Ruppert Landscape president Phil Key. 

Law was trapped inside and hit by debris, according to firefighters. A gas worker who arrived at the scene to investigate the smell was outside and blown some distance from the building by the force of the blast.

Investigators say the leak came from the in-ground propane tanks the company was using in this rural area far from natural gas lines.

But what touched off the blast is unclear. It could have been something as small as a spark from switching on a light switch, fire officials said.

The force of the explosion twisted the old Jacob Allnut farmhouse, which dates from the late 1800s, according to historical records, and knocked much of it off its foundation

Montgomery County fire crews were at the scene of the explosion all morning along with collapse and rescue teams to work to stabilize the collapsed home.

Laytonsville Road was closed from Hipsley Mill Road to Griffith Road as crews worked to clear the scene, and drivers experienced significant delays. 

Here's a live look at the scene:

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