BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — An explosion Monday morning at the Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood injured 26 people, officials with the Seminole Tribe and Hollywood Fire Rescue told several news outlets.
Fire officials described the injuries to the Miami Herald as “minor.” Six people were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood for treatment while 20 others were treated at the scene, the newspaper reported.
Gary Bitner, spokesperson for the Seminole Tribe, told WSVN that those injured included employees and customers.
“There were about 100 people, between employees and guests, here when this happened,” he said.
The incident happened around 9:50 a.m. as contractors were performing regular service on the casino’s fire suppression system, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. During the work, a line to a gas canister ruptured, damaging the casino’s systems and causing drywall to fall down to the first floor, according to the newspaper.
The fire suppression system was on the second floor of the building, an area closed to customers, according to the Herald.
“We were very lucky that the injuries were mainly minimal,” Bitner told the Sun-Sentinel, “and obviously we’re going to make sure we understand exactly what happened, so it never happens again.”
The casino was evacuated after the incident, WSVN reported. It was not immediately clear when it would reopen.
Authorities continue to investigate.
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