Police: Father, Son Survive House Collapse In South Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A father and son escaped with minor injuries after a home collapses following a possible gas explosion on Monday night.

It happened around 7:35 p.m. in the 1200 block of S. 20th Street.

Police say they received calls for a house collapse due to a possible gas explosion.

Officials tell CBS3 that a 57-year-old man was washing his hands in the second-floor bathroom when he was blasted onto the first floor. Authorities say the man's 12-year-old son was on the first floor of the residence when the incident occurred.

Both victims were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Chopper 3 was over the scene where debris appears to be scattered in front of the residence.

"I came back across the street and I was talking to my next door neighbor and all of a sudden I looked over… I've never seen nothing like that before. It looked like it was something in a movie," said Vivian Black, who lives on the street.

Coincidently a police precinct and fire station are connected to the building that collapsed on Monday.

Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel says crews were at the scene in seconds due to the proximity of the collapse.

"It is somewhat miraculous that these folks were not injured more," said Thiel. "We're glad our firefighters were able to get there. They actually heard the sound and self-dispatched … and went around and pulled out the occupants."

The exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation.

In:
• Philadelphia