A natural gas explosion destroyed a two-story apartment building in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood Thursday afternoon, killing three people, including a child, and injuring several others as firefighters searched through debris for possible additional victims.
Dallas Fire-Rescue said the victims included two adult women and one child. Officials said crews remained in recovery mode Thursday night and continued searching the scene by hand and with drones.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson released a statement on the incident on Thursday:
After today’s explosion and fire in Oak Cliff, now is the time for Dallas to come together as a community and support those in mourning and in need. Read my full statement below: pic.twitter.com/cLqRK9AGAm
— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) May 29, 2026
Firefighters were on their way to the 400 block of East Ninth Street near North Patton Avenue in response to a reported gas leak when the explosion and fire occurred shortly before 1 p.m., The Dallas Express reported.
“We had the cavalry coming,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry said during a news conference, PBS reported. “But the explosion had already taken place.”
The response escalated throughout the afternoon, growing from three to five alarms as more than 100 firefighters battled flames and searched the wreckage in extreme heat.
Assistant Chief James Russ said the fire was contained, but crews continued conducting searches through the debris.
“The fire is contained, but our members are still working on the scene to do primary searches,” Russ said, per PBS.
Officials confirmed at least four people were transported to hospitals, with one person reported in critical condition. Earlier Thursday, authorities said five people had sought medical treatment, including two who went to hospitals on their own.
Authorities said they still did not know how many people may have been inside the building at the time of the explosion. A source familiar with the response told NBC 5 DFW that officials initially were trying to account for approximately 11 residents.
Atmos Energy later confirmed that Dallas Fire-Rescue notified the company at 12:51 p.m. that a construction crew had damaged a natural gas pipeline near the apartment building. The company said it was not involved in the work.
Atmos said that natural gas service to the immediate area was turned off, and technicians were remaining at the site to assist investigators and emergency personnel.
A contractor was reportedly working near the building and may have struck the gas line, NBC 5 reported. City officials said no municipal street work was underway in the area at the time.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Thursday night that it was sending investigators to Dallas to examine the explosion.
“NTSB is sending a team to Dallas, Texas, to start an investigation into the Thursday, May 28, natural gas-fueled explosion that destroyed an apartment building in the Oak Cliff neighborhood,” the agency said in a statement posted on X.
Television footage showed flames shooting high into the air as thick black smoke rose above the neighborhood near the Bishop Arts district. Debris from the destroyed apartment complex was scattered across nearby streets and neighboring homes.
Witnesses described hearing a massive blast that shook surrounding buildings.
“I was sitting on my couch watching TV — stuff flew off our walls,” nearby resident Julie Jensen said, per PBS.
Another witness, Sal De La Rosa, said he and other workers at a nearby auto repair shop felt the impact immediately.
“All of a sudden we just heard and felt this huge boom,” De La Rosa said, per PBS. “We felt where the building kind of shook a little bit.”
Residents gathered nearby searching for loved ones and pets as firefighters continued recovery efforts. Rosy Martinez told NBC 5 that she rushed to the scene to look for her sister and 1-year-old nephew.
“We don’t know where they are at and we can’t find them,” Martinez said. “I just hope that we can find them soon and I hope they are OK.”
Another displaced resident, identified only as Kacee, said she had moved into the complex just last week and feared she had lost everything, including her 14-year-old cat.
“I don’t know what to do,” she told Fox 4 KDFW. “This is all I have right here.”
Rodney Brown said he helped rescue a young girl from the burning complex before flames intensified.
“She was a baby,” Brown said, per Fox 4. “My instinct was that I seen her and I wanted to help.”
He added that the child said her mother and siblings were also in the apartment, but Brown was unable to return to assist them after the fire spread.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson urged residents to pray for victims and emergency crews.
“I want to encourage our entire city, this entire state, the entire nation, to come together and pray for all the people, all the families who are affected by this tragedy we are experiencing here today in our city,” Johnson said during a news conference, per Fox 4.
A family assistance center was established at nearby W.H. Adamson High School, while Methodist Dallas Medical Center set up a staging area to help triage victims.
