PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A boat engine explosion in Portsmouth sent two people to the hospital with serious injuries Wednesday evening.
The incident happened inside the United Shipboard Repair & Alterations building on Mt. Vernon Avenue.
Portsmouth resident Matthew Kornegay said his whole house shook.
"It felt like an elephant dropped on our house and there was just a huge bang," he told 13News Now.
He lives across the street and said people rushed to help those at the scene.
Kornegay said, "I ran outside and just saw a bunch of people running up to help the gentleman out who had been exposed to the chemicals and calling 911."
According to authorities, a boat was being maintained and had a failure that led to a possible small explosion inside the building. Fire officials found the two people inside the building when they arrived.
The United Shipboard facility is also across the street from Twisted Pig Ale & Smokehouse. Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover confirmed to 13News Now he was there having dinner when the explosion happened. He says he rushed out and saw a person partially on fire.
Portsmouth Fire Battalion Chief Andrew Creekmore said the community stepped in to help, explaining, "the local restaurant right here provided us with multiple cases of water."
He added the heat Wednesday and other conditions made fighting the fire a challenge.
"With the boat being inside of the building, it was absolutely more of a challenge," he said. One: we weren't able to move the boat and two: we had to use foam to extinguish it."
Investigators ruled the explosion and fire were accidental. No firefighters were injured.