Huge explosion rips through Houston building

A massive explosion ripped through a building in Houston early on Friday, injuring several people and damaging homes in a blast heard across a wide area, officials and media said.

Smoke poured out from inside a structure in the pre-dawn darkness about two hours after the blast as emergency vehicle lights flashed and first responders blocked access and checked for damage, aerial video from KTRK television showed.

The moment of the explosion was captured on a home security camera, also aired on KTRK, that showed a blinding flash in the distance followed by a fireball.