Three girls were injured after a boat exploded in southern Maryland on Saturday according to authorities.
The three unidentified girls were immediately rushed to Washington D.C's Children's Hospital for treatment. The girls suffered from burns after the boat exploded in Calvert County, and they were needed to be airlifted to the hospital, according to the Maryland Natural Resources Police on Twitter, Reuters reported.
3 children flown to Children's Hospital w/burns after boat explosion in Calvert Co.
— MD NRP (@MDNRPolice) September 19, 2015
The unnamed victims were known to be sibling with ages three, eight, and nine. The three-year-old and the nine-year-old kids were being treated for critical burns in the hospital while the eight-year-old girl was also confined in the hospital. The parents were also on board the boat when the explosion occurred, Fox News reported.
The fire started at 11:30 am at the Mill Creek in Lusby, Maryland on Saturday. The 20-foot Wellcraft recreational boat then eventually burned just minutes right after it went off from the marina, Fox 5 DC reported. The cause of the fire that led to the explosion is still under investigation.
The Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department was able to respond to the explosion immediately, Thomson added. The fire marshal from the area will further investigate what caused the blast.
The parents, 27-year-old Tamara Johnson-Harmon and 31-year-old Devyn James Harmon were on board, as well, according to Candy Thomson, Maryland Natural Resources Police's spokeswoman.
"Witnesses said they heard a boom and when they looked the engine cover was up in the air," Thomson said, according to the Washington Post. "The boat burned and sank very fast."
