Muslims started News Years 2014 off with a bang, literally. A building in Minneapolis that housed a mosque and a halal market went up in flames earlier today to kick off the new year. The area were the building is located in Minneapolis is home to a large Somali Muslim population.
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Thirteen people were injured, six critically, in a building explosion in Minneapolis that sent flames shooting 20 feet into the air Wednesday morning. The three-story building on Cedar Ave. South housed a mosque, a halal market and 10 apartments.
Firefighters got into the first floor, but “the conditions became very untenable very quickly,” Fuertel said. “They did the best they could.” Firefighters also coped with sub-zero temperatures and wind chills near minus-20 degrees. Some residents were rescued with ladders. Others jumped or fell. It’s unclear how many people might have been trapped inside and a family center was being set up to try to determine if anyone was still missing.
The cause was under investigation.”We don’t know the reason for the fire,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. “This is obviously a very, very difficult and potentially tragic event.”