5 injured in US shopping centre gas explosion

Washington, Oct 18 (IANS) Five people were injured in a gas explosion at a shopping centre in the US state of Virginia, according to officials.The incident took place on Saturday at the two-storey shopping centre, which is just a few blocks west of the James Madison University campus in Harrisonburg, reports Xinhua news agency.Describing the incident as a "complete loss", Michael Parks, a spokesman for the city said at a news conference that a three-alarm fire spread to at least two other commercial buildings.Among the injured were three James Madison University students, local media reports said. One of the students reportedly received treatment at a hospital, while the other two were treated and released at the scene.Virginia Governor Ralph Northam tweeted that the incident was a "gas explosion".
--IANS ksk/