PHILADELPHIA | 
 
 PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Eight people including three children were injured in Philadelphia on Monday when a natural gas explosion tore through a row house under renovation, causing the collapse of three houses and the evacuation of about 70 homes. Hundreds of people watched as emergency workers and firefighters went about clearing 15 feet of rubble and debris that spilled onto the street from the collapsed home. One child was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in stable condition, and a contractor performing the renovations was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in critical condition. Residents reported a strong smell of natural gas after the blast and Philadelphia Gas Works crews shut off gas to the area, utility spokeswoman Melanie McCottry said. "Just making sure everyone's out, everyone's safe," he said.
– At least six people were reportedly injured in south Philadelphia today, after a home collapsed after a possible explosion, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Police say reports of the blast came at about 11am, but according to Reuters they would not confirm the number of people injured, nor have they commented on the condition of those injured. Aerial footage showed rubble where the home had been; two neighboring homes were also damaged. The incident comes just a month after another building collapsed in Philadelphia, killing six people.