The Nation : Eight Killed in Explosion

At least eight persons were killed and one was critically injured in a thunderous explosion that demolished a furniture and appliance store in Crystal Springs, Miss., and sent a huge mushroom cloud into the sky. “We think it is a natural gas leak, but it is under investigation,” Fire Department Capt. Mike Cole said. Cole said firefighters brought the flames under control within 30 minutes and were sifting through the rubble at the Watkins Furniture and Appliance Store in downtown Crystal Springs, a small town near Jackson, searching for more victims.