3-Year-Old Missing After Deadly Explosion Levels Houses in Michigan Neighborhood

A 3-year-old child remains missing from a Flint, Michigan, neighborhood on Tuesday after a deadly explosion started a fire and leveled three homes Monday night, the Associated Press reported.

Michigan State Police were still looking for the child as of Tuesday morning. Fire crews were using specialized equipment and a police cadaver dog was used to aid in the search, Flint Fire Chief Raymond Barton said.

Barton said Tuesday that two people were injured Monday night, including the missing child's father, who was in critical condition. A 70-year-old man was pronounced dead. Another person reported minor injuries, WJRT-TV reported.

"This is a tragic time for our community," Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said during a Tuesday morning news conference.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and found three houses fully engulfed in flames after 9:30 p.m. Monday. There were reports of people trapped in their homes, WJRT-TV reported.

Flaming debris, splintered wood and other debris from the blast were scattered across the neighborhood. Officials said around 20 houses were damaged, such as broken windows from flying debris.

The American Red Cross set up an area for those affected on Tuesday and was caring for five residents from the neighborhood. The organization set up an area to warm up and provided snacks, WRJT-TV reported.

Structural engineers are looking at each residence in the area to make sure they are safe to return to, WRJT-TV reported.

Most of the surrounding neighborhood remained evacuated as of Tuesday morning. Consumers Energy shut off utilities to the entire block where the explosion happened, WRJT-TV reported.

The cause of the explosion, which was felt miles away, was still under investigation, Neeley said.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

Aisha Lott, who lives nearby, said she felt an explosion and the blast rocked her house.

"It was like a really loud boom, and my house shook," she told WJRT-TV.

Consumers Energy spokesman Brian Wheeler said the utility received a call about 9:40 p.m. about the house explosion and crews sent to the scene shut off natural gas and electric service to a total of seven homes, including three that he said were destroyed by the blast.

Wheeler said Tuesday morning the utility had found no evidence of gas leaks or other issues with Consumers Energy's gas system that runs to the house that exploded. He said the utility is working with local authorities to investigate the explosion.

"Our thoughts this morning go to the residents of this neighborhood and their loved ones," the utility said in a statement.