Crews Work To Remove Scaffolding From BGE Building Damaged In Baltimore Explosion

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A crane arrived Saturday morning to remove the scaffolding that hung from the side of the BGE building in downtown Baltimore days after an explosion inside the building sent nearly two dozen people to the hospital.

The crane went up as crews worked to remove the scaffolding in the afternoon. The process involved lifting and removing it from the building before setting it down in the plaza below, BGE said.

Roads in the area were closed as a result of the work. The city said Fayette Street was closed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

The blast happened just before 8:30 Wednesday morning. While the building was mostly empty due to the holidays and the COVID-19 pandemic, construction crews were working on the air handling and boiler system.

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First responders rescued 23 people from the building, 21 of whom were taken to hospitals. Nine people were critically injured.

As of Thursday, 12 had been released.

The blast is believed to have been caused by the construction work on the air handling and boiler system and was not gas-related, BGE said.

Crews will remove the crane on Sunday.

This story was updated on December 26, 2020.

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• Baltimore
• Explosion
• Baltimore City