6 hurt in house explosion on Detroit's east side

18-month-old girl, 2-year-old boy critical after explosion at Manning & Fairport

DETROIT – An 18-month-old girl and a 2-year-old boy are among the six people who were injured in a house explosion on Detroit's east side.

The explosion rocked a neighborhood Thursday evening at Manning and Fairport.

"We didn't hear it but we felt it," one neighbor said. "Shook, thought someone hit my house."

"It was like a loud boom," another resident said. "Car kind of shook, rocked."

Police told Local 4 squatters were inside the home with an illegal hook up. They believe the family may have been using the stove to heat the place. Six people, including two children, were in the house when it exploded.

Witnesses said the father was thrown out.

"I can hear the man saying, 'I got my kids in there,' screaming," a neighbor said. "You can see a guy basically on fire."

Fire officials said the 18-month-old girl and 2-year-old boy were listed in critical condition.

A 21-year-old woman, 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were listed in temporary serious condition. The sixth victim was not identified.

Crews worked to find the gas line to shut it off. Firefighters battled the blazes for hours and when the smoke cleared, the house was leveled -- nothing left but charred bricks and debris.

Watch Local 4 News and stay with ClickOnDetroit.com for updates on this story.

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