Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the extensive structural collapse and significant debris,” the fire department said in its statement.

An explosion injured six people inside a home shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday in east Jefferson City, Missouri, fire officials said.

Three of the six were critically injured, a Jefferson City fire official said. Two were in bad enough shape that they were flown to a trauma center in nearby Columbia.

The explosion occurred on St. Louis Road in Jefferson City early Saturday morning at 2:44 a.m., according to fire officials.

Six people were injured in a house explosion early Saturday morning in mid-Missouri. Just before 3 a.m., fire crews responded to the blast at a home in Jefferson City. All six victims were inside the house at the time of the explosion, and at least one person required "intensive extrication."

A house exploded early Saturday in Missouri's capital city, injuring six people, including three critically, fire officials said. The explosion happened at 2:44 a.m., according to a statement from the Jefferson City Fire Department. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

An explosion injured six people shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday in a residential neighborhood in east Jefferson City.