FORESTVILLE, Md. -- Prince George's County fire investigators have ruled that a recent gas explosion at a strip mall was accidental.
Thursday's explosion at the Penn Mar shopping center in Forestville was due to a buildup of natural gas, officials said. Insurance investigators from the center's management company are going to try to identify the cause of the gas release.
Officials from the county fire department also will review the incident with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The federal agency makes recommendations on how to prevent work-related injuries and illness.
Nine people, including eight firefighters, were injured in the blast and taken to area hospitals. All of them have been released, according to authorities.
