The blast tore into at least 41 businesses, and one building partially collapsed, officials said. Concerned about the structural integrity of the affected buildings, the city cordoned the area off and won’t allow anyone in until Sunday afternoon.
“It will be some time before 2nd Ave is back to normal,” Cooper said.
Witnesses recalled the terrifying moments before the explosion and in its aftermath. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” resident Betsy Williams told CNN. “It shook everything.”
She said she heard the warning from what sounded like an automated female voice. She said if the gunshots hadn’t woken her up, she’s not sure she would have heard the message.
She and her family left after the voice from the RV said there was eight minutes left before the explosion. They headed across the river and watched from the parking lot of the city’s NFL stadium.
When time expired, they started to head back. As they were driving down 2nd Avenue, they saw the explosion, Williams said.
“The fireball went all the way up past the AT&T, above the AT&T building. Everything just, I mean, everything shook. It was quite the blast,” she told Anderson Cooper.
Another resident said the scene of destruction was like an apocalyptic movie.
Three cars were set afire. Trees were down. Bricks and glass were everywhere.
The mayor thanked the police for saving people from harm.
Metro Nashville Police Department officers were responding to a call of shots fired around 5:30 a.m. CT Friday when they found the motor home parked in front of an AT&T transmission building at 166 2nd Avenue North.
When they heard the warning they moved people away.
The RV exploded at 6:30 a.m. CT, said police spokesman Don Aaron. “We do believe this to have been an intentional act.”
The force of the explosion knocked down one officer, Aaron said, and caused hearing loss in another. But no officers suffered serious injuries.
AT&T spokesman Jim Greer told CNN that the company’s network hub in the city was damaged in the explosion and service in the Nashville area was affected. AT&T is the parent company of CNN.(
CNNIndonesia)