WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A school building in Minneapolis in the midwestern U.S. state of Minnesota collapsed after a natural gas explosion Wednesday, leaving three people unaccounted for and others injured, authorities said.
Fire crew were searching for possible victims in the debris and trying to extinguish a blaze following the explosion-led collapse at Minnehaha Academy's upper school.
The Minneapolis Fire Department initially said one person was killed, but later tweeted the fatality was not confirmed.
Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner said fire crew rescued three people off the roof and were looking for three others who were unaccounted for and that it's unclear the missing were adults or children.
Video footage online showed smoke rising from the debris amid flames.
Police said five people were hospitalized and one was released after being evaluated, while paramedics were treating people at the scene for injuries.
In a statement, the academy said the explosion involved a natural gas leak, but it only affected the upper school. The school has a lower school, many blocks downriver.
Minnehaha Academy, founded in 1913, is a Christian school, which had over 800 students enrolled during the 2015-2016 school year, with the upper school housing grades 9-12.
The 2017-2018 school year is scheduled to begin on Aug. 23, but there were students, teachers and coaches at the school for sport training, summer school and other activities.
A school official said about a dozen students in the school gym were all OK.
