Update: Montgomery County emergency crews recovered a body in a Gaithersburg condo building that exploded on Wednesday, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said Thursday evening. The body has not been identified, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters at a press conference, but the discovery did trigger the involvement of MCPD’s major crimes division and police are now looking at the potential that the fire was “a criminal intentional act,” Jones said.

Update, Nov. 17, 12:30 p.m.: Fourteen residents injured in an explosion and fire at a Gaithersburg apartment complex are in stable condition as of Thursday, according to officials.

On Wednesday morning, 10 people were transported to local hospitals, two in critical condition. As of Thursday morning, one of those people remains in the hospital in stable condition, according to Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein, while the others have been discharged. Four people were treated for their injuries on the scene throughout the day on Wednesday.

Of the eight with moderate or mild injuries, four were children — one as young as four months old.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the blast, which destroyed one building, heavily damaged another, and displaced dozens of residents.

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At least 12 people have been injured in an explosion at an apartment complex in Gaithersburg, Maryland, according to Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.

Of the 12 injured, two have been transported to a hospital with injuries. Two of those individuals were taken to trauma centers with critical injuries. Of the eight with mild or moderate injuries, four were children, according to Goldstein.

Fire and police responded to a call of a building explosion on Quince Orchard Boulevard around 8:40 a.m. this morning, and identified a fire at one apartment building, 826, which had collapsed. The explosion also impacted the neighboring building, 828. Two buildings attached to both the impacted buildings were also evacuated, due to concerns that the explosion may have caused structural damage.

In total, 24 units were evacuated, displacing dozens of residents, according to Goldstein. Officials could not provide an exact number of residents impacted by the damage. By 2 p.m. on Wednesday, investigators had successfully contacted occupants of the 24 impacted units, except one unit, located in building 826.

Crews extinguished the fire, which is suspected to be gas-fed, by the afternoon, but Goldstein said smoldering fires in the debris pile from the collapse may continue. Goldstein did not speculate on what caused the explosion, saying it’s too early to identify “what, how, where, or why.”

“This will be a multi-day event,” Goldstein told reporters Wednesday morning. “Operations will be slow and meticulous.”

It’s the second large apartment explosion in the county this year. In March, ten people were injured in an explosion at the Friendly Garden Apartments in Silver Spring. The blast was eventually ruled an accident, caused when maintenance workers were attempting to fix a clogged drain in one of the buildings. In 2016, a gas explosion and fire killed seven residents and injured more than 30 just a short drive away from the Friendly Garden Apartments. An investigation found that the explosion was caused by failing Washington Gas equipment.

Goldstein said that investigators reviewed 911 calls from people in this complex in the past 45 days for any reports of gas smells or leaks, and found that Montgomery County Fire reported to one call of a gas concern on Sept. 22. Goldstein didn’t provide further information on the details of that report, and said the fire department will need to work with the building’s management to get more information about how they have handled other residents’ concern about a gas leak.

Throughout the day on Wednesday, fire officials inspected several other nearby units for any gas issues, and all have been deemed safe for residents to return to.

Montgomery County’s Health and Humans Services department has set up an overnight shelter at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, where displaced residents can access food and services that will connect them with next steps. Montgomery Housing Partners has also set up a fundraiser for the residents. 

“Recovery starts today,” said Patrick Campbell, the senior planning manager for mass care operations. “HHS will be with these residents throughout the coming months. Our goal is to work on our short term needs dealing with a crisis needs and then long term housing solutions with residents. That’s everything from assisting folks who do have insurance for folks who may not have insurance, long term assistance.

This story has been updated with more information on the victims.