Two missing and one injured after Motel 6 explosion in Washington

'The shaking was bad enough that the neighbors thought a tree fell on their house'

(Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun/Twitter (Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun/Twitter)

A gas explosion at a Washington hotel left one person critically injuring one person and leaving two missing on Tuesday night.

The Motel 6 in Bremerton, Washington was evacuated nearly 30 minutes before a large section of the building was leveled by the blast.

Alice Adams, who lives nearby, told NBC News said the explosion much louder than a “firework or gunshot.”

"The shaking was bad enough that the neighbors thought a tree fell on their house. Both the sound and force made it almost instantly obvious that it was an explosion and not something smaller like a firework explosion or gunshot.”

Tonya Hinds, the motel manager, told KING5 that she pulled a fire alarm just before the blast.

"I knew pulling it was a split-second decision. I thought this could cause major pandemonium, me pulling this alarm, but my gut told me to and I'm glad I did because it gave us time to get everyone away from the building," she said.

Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan told the Seattle Times that The Red Cross responded to the blast to help find guests alternative housing.