Maryland Apartment Explosion: 3rd Body Found, 5 Missing Identified, How to Help [Updated]

UPDATED at 10:50 p.m. SILVER SPRING, MD — A third body was found by investigators sifting through the burned remnants of an apartment building after an explosion, authorities said Friday, while the tally of those missing and killed remains unconfirmed and displaced residents were again urged to contact authorities as they try to account for all residents.

Late Friday afternoon, searchers found a third body within the Flower Branch Apartments in the 8600 block of Piney Branch Road. Two bodies were removed from the site on Thursday.

Montgomery County Police investigators have not yet identified these three victims. The bodies been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy and possible identification. Authorities said that personnel couldn't determine the age or gender of the first two bodies discovered because of the poor condition of the remains.

David Steckel, the county's acting fire chief, said Friday that finding victims killed in the disaster has been slow because of how badly the building was damaged in the Wednesday night explosion and fire.

“The building still presents as a collapse hazard, which is a dangerous situation for the personnel,” Steckel said. “The movement of debris itself presents a challenge. Every time you move something, it has the possibility to impinge the integrity of the structure so we have to be careful and methodical.”

Fifty fire and rescue personnel are working at the site to look for the missing victims, who are presumed dead.

While WUSA reports that two children and three adults are missing, according to family members, police on Friday said they could not confirm how many people are missing or their names. Those missing according to the TV station are:

• Fernando Josu Hernandez, 3, and David Morales, 9.
• Augusto Jimenez, 60, and Maria Castellon, 53, who lived in apartment 103.
• Saul Paniagua, 61, from apartment 101.

Assistant Police Chief Russ Hamill said authorities will continue until everyone who was in the buildings is accounted for; so far, police have accounted for about 110 people since the explosion.

“We are asking family members to please contact us, friends to please contact us, and if you are a resident of the building to contact us. Again, it’s 311,” Hamill said.

Montgomery County residents who want to help their Silver Spring neighbors have flooded the Casa Welcome Center with needed supplies, so the agency now asks that you give blood or donate money through the Montgomery Housing Partnership website. (See more on how to donate below.) Gift cards are also useful at this point.

Many of the families in the building are immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Africa. While some had paperwork to be in the country, not all did, and families are hesitant to reach out to authorities, advocates said.

Residents in the building that exploded told reporters that a woman had a young child slip through her grasp as the apartment collapsed.

Resident Eddie Macario told WTOP he went into the woman’s apartment to see if could reach the child, but couldn’t. “It was collapsing, full of smoke. Nothing could be done, and she lost her baby there, and up until now they haven’t found him,” Macario said.

Families ran for their lives. Those who were trapped by flames dropped children from the third and fourth floors to friends and strangers below, who caught the youngsters, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said. Then parents and others jumped to safety, fracturing bones in the process.

A common issue raised by residents was the lingering smell of natural gas in the area, which the fire department and an ATF official said they are investigating. Adrian Boya told News4's Derrick Ward he smelled gas for weeks in the area.

"I called 911, they came and told us it smelled like incense," Boya told NBC Washington. “It's like they didn't take us seriously."

In the days before the explosion, there was a strong smell of gas on Flower, about a block from the apartment complex, Joy West said.

Police and fire officials said it's too early to know what caused the fire.

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said that a natural gas odor was reported on July 25. Firefighters responded to that complaint, could not verify the smell and left the scene. Washington Gas issued a statement saying it is cooperating in the investigation into the explosion, as well as the early complaint of a gas smell.

»SEE ALSO:

• Maryland Apartment Blast: 'I Think I Lost a Friend'
• Maryland Apartment Explosion: 2 Dead, 32 Injured, Others Missing [UPDATED]
• How to Help Victims of Maryland Apartment Fire

A team from the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping the Montgomery County police and fire departments sift through the debris and investigate the cause of the explosion.

Northbound lanes and southbound left lane of Piney Branch Rd (MD 320) opened Friday morning. The right southbound lane remains closed between Flower Avenue and University Boulevard (MD 193).

Tracking Missing, Reuniting Families

County officials are seeking information from anyone who knows of missing and unaccounted-for people who may have been in the apartment building. Residents who need to report persons unaccounted for after last night's fire should contact MC 311, says the county's emergency management office. MC 311 will not be able to provide the location of missing persons but will get the information to fire investigations for follow-up.

Anyone who lives outside Montgomery County should call 240-777-0311 to ask about fire victims.

Anyone with missing relatives can also walk into Rolling Terrace Elementary School, 705 Bayfield St. in Takoma Park, where a meeting center has been established.

Reunification resumed at 8 a.m. Friday at the Long Branch Community Recreation Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road.

Montgomery County Public Libraries Long Branch at 8800 Garland Ave. is providing services to support residents who lost their homes and personal belongings. The library reopened at 10 a.m. Friday. The library offers:

• Spanish speakers on staff
• Computers and laptops for work and personal use
• Charging stations
• Free fast wi-fi
• Books, toys, and games
• Air conditioning

Nearly 100 displaced residents have taken refuge at the Long Branch Community Center, where bilingual specialists in Spanish and Amharic (for Ethiopian families) are helping families. Many of the immigrant families lost money and documents showing they can be in the country, and need help recovering. A clinic across the road from the community center is taking walk-in patients to get people medications and will provide followup care for anyone discharged from the hospital.

Health needs, such as prescriptions, will be handled through the CASA's Health Services Center. The community quickly responding with the donation of many needed items and CASA now asks those wanting to help to provide cash donations so future needed items can be quickly purchased.

Donations should not be taken to the Long Branch Center; a list of nonprofit agencies that are able to accept clothing and other items is posted below. Cash donations should be made to the American Red Cross.

How to Help Apartment Fire Victims

Montgomery County officials said residents who want to donate either goods or money to help the Long Branch fire victims can do so several ways.

MAIL (via check) FINANCIAL DONATION

Mail it to: Montgomery Housing Partnership (Attn: Long Branch Fire), 12200 Tech Road, Suite 250, Silver Spring, MD 20904[*] Write LONG BRANCH FIRE in check memo. Gift cards are also needed to help families buy items they need.

ONLINE FINANCIAL DONATION

(Easiest - and preferred) [1] Go to the Montgomery Housing Partnershp website: www.MHPartners.org [2] Click on "Give Direct" (on right side of your screen) [3] Input amount and credit card number[*] Make sure you indicate LONG BRANCH FIRE in the 'comment' box.

CASH DONATIONS (to purchase needed items quickly)

• CASA Welcome Center, 734 University Blvd. East (Off University Blvd, just south of Piney Branch)
• A Wider Circle, 9151 Brookeville Road, Silver Spring Phone #:301-608-3504 Call for pick-up; drop-off furniture 7 days a week
• Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, 501 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring, Phone #: 301-585-6556

Donations:

Checks can be sent to ACSGW at 501 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (Make checks payable to ACSGW) Emergency Fund.

Online and pay via PayPal and mark it “Other” or Emergency Fund at www.acsgw.org

Clothing, houseware items, toiletries, blankets, sheets, etc. are needed — no furniture.

ACSGW will be open for calls and services at the following days and times during this weekend:

• Friday – 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
• Saturday – 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
• Sunday – 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

The agency has a Spanish-speaking case manager for any help or questions.

Downtown Silver Spring's BurgerFi will donate 10 percent of all sales on Friday, Aug. 12, to the Flower Branch Apartment residents who were affected by the fire.

»Flower Branch fire photo courtesy of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services