A D.C. day care may be closed for months after it was rocked by an explosion that leveled the convenience store next door and left one man with minor injuries on Thursday.
The explosion occurred in the 1200 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE, in the Anacostia neighborhood. A building that was home to a convenience store was leveled and two other buildings are damaged, including one with a transitional housing facility for women.
Firefighters got a call at 9:30 a.m. for a gas leak at the meter of the building that would explode. They contacted Washington Gas and began evacuations, with help from staff at the Baby Einstein Child Development Center, who helped get children in their coats and outside fast.
The large blast ripped through about 15 minutes after 16 children, between 2 months to 4 years old, were all safely evacuated.
Owner Regina Snead shared surveillance video of the inside of the building during the explosion, which sent items flying across the room and blew windows out.
Snead said every month, their staff practices these sorts of emergency evacuations, so their training kicked in and more than likely saved lives.
"I'm glad we got out. When we smelled gas, I said, 'Let's exit the building,' and everyone jumped into play," Snead said. “I’m just glad that I could make sure that the children we were entrusted with were safe that day."
But the aftermath is also a big blow to parents with few day care options in the neighborhood, since it could be anywhere from four to six months before the facility is able to reopen.
The day care is now trying to find a temporary space to operate, so they can continue to provide their services. A lot of the supplies inside the facility were destroyed, so the center has set up an online fundraiser to help them get back on their feet and continue to support families in Anacostia.
“Words just can’t express how I feel. I know we’re ready to continue to build bigger and better for our children, our parents, our families, and our community," Snead said.
The cleanup effort on the block is expected to be extensive.
Recovery priorities including relocating the day care center so it can resume its vital role in the community. The convenience store that was leveled also plays an important role in the neighborhood, which has fewer grocery opportunities than many other parts of the District.