An explosion reduced a large section of a Motel 6 near Seattle to rubble late Tuesday only moments after it was evacuated due to a gas leak.
Firefighters who were on scene in Bremerton, Washington, at the time were blown back nearly 20 feet, police said. A gas company worker was critically injured by the blast and was flown by air ambulance to a hospital with second- and third-degree burns.
A gas leak was reported shortly before 8 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET). Motel workers and patrons were able to evacuate just prior to the blast, which happened at 8:24 p.m., authorities say.
A fire official told NBC News that three motel guests are unaccounted for and crews at the scene are digging through rubble for the bodies of the missing.