Propane Explosion at Florida Bakery Injures 10, Causes Roof Collapse

FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – A propane explosion at Palm Bakery in Florida City injured 10 people and caused a partial roof collapse on Saturday morning, according to authorities. The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. at the bakery located at 941 West Palm Drive.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) reported that the bakery was closed to customers but had gas company workers inside at the time of the blast. A fire was still burning when firefighters arrived on the scene. Authorities confirmed that eight victims were transported to local hospitals, including two classified as trauma alerts who were airlifted to a nearby burn unit.

Two additional individuals self-transported to hospitals before emergency crews arrived, bringing the total number of injured to 10. All victims are reported to be in stable condition, but details on their injuries have not yet been released.

MDFR officials indicated that more than 27 units responded to the explosion and quickly shut off the gas. Search teams with K-9s were deployed to search the rubble for any additional victims, but none were found beneath the debris.

“There was very little room to get in there,” said MDFR Division Chief Horacio Rodriguez. “It’s not safe for our units to get in there which is why we dispatched the dogs.”

The explosion caused significant structural damage to the bakery and affected neighboring businesses, which were closed at the time. At least one business has been condemned as unsafe.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos following the explosion. “I was just surprised,” said one bystander. “You wouldn’t expect something like this to happen down here in Florida City.”

Erika Benitez, an MDFR spokesperson, stated that the cause of the explosion is currently under investigation. Authorities are continuing to assess the structural impact, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.