An explosion destroyed a coffee shop and seriously injured three people in South Georgia Friday, authorities confirmed.

Investigators determined a nearby construction crew installing fiber optic cable ruptured an underground gas line, causing natural gas to leak into a sewer line connected to the coffee shop, Glenn Allen, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens, told the Associated Press.

“Inside the shop, gas built up in the kitchen area, and there was a spark, resulting in the explosion,” Allen said.

Two employees at Coffee Corner and a customer were the only people inside the building when it exploded, and they were flown to a hospital in Gainesville, Fla., the AP reported. They suffered “burns and other serious injuries,” Allen said.

Homerville is located in Clinch County, which is about 30 miles north of the Georgia-Florida line.

The City of Homerville previously posted on Facebook that residents should avoid the downtown area because of the explosion and investigation. Saturday morning, the city posted that the downtown area and all roads have been reopened.

Click here to read more.

In other news:

The driver is accused of ramming a police car into a tree right before other officers took him into custody.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Fans celebrate in the stands after Cape Verde defeated Eswatini in a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Estádio Nacional in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, to clinch their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. (Cristiano Barbosa/AP)

Credit: AP