An ordinary morning in upstate New York shattered in seconds as the Abundant Life Church explosion tore through a house of worship Tuesday, leaving five people injured — two of them critically — and reducing part of the building to what authorities described as catastrophic damage.
Fire crews in the Town of Boonville, Oneida County, were dispatched just before 10:30 a.m. to the church on the 4930 block of State Route 12 after reports of a strong gas odor inside the structure, according to the New York State Police.
What began as a routine emergency response quickly escalated.
Blast Strikes as Firefighter Enters Building
Officials said the explosion erupted as a Boonville firefighter entered the church. The force of the blast caused severe structural destruction, sending debris outward and transforming the scene into a tableau of smoke and splintered wood.
Five individuals were transported to Wynn Hospital in Utica. Authorities said one firefighter and one civilian remain in critical condition. The other three victims sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
The shockwave reverberated beyond the walls of the church, rattling a close-knit community where faith and familiarity run deep.
