By Robert Brizel, Brick City Boxing Correspondent

Slot machine players and gamblers ran for their lives to the casino exits after an internal explosion on Monday, September 13, 2021, injured 26 employees and customers at the Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, Florida, less than half a mile south from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino where boxing shows are regularly held on weekends.

The 26 people injured suffered minor injuries including scrapes and bruises, but nobody was believed to be seriously hurt, a miracle. Six of the injured people were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital. One of the hospitalized suffered a blunt trauma injury, which is not believed to be life threatening.

According to Seminole Tribe spokesman Gary Bitner, maintenance was being performed on fire suppression equipment in an equipment room behind the casino wall. The fire suppression system was turned off. When it was turned back on, a line connecting to a tank ruptured. A loud explosion caused drywall debris and fiberglass from the walls to scatter throughout the casino. “The tank was connected with (to) a gas canister. It’s actually fire suppression equipment that uses gas to put out a fire,” explained Bitner.

The nation’s first high stakes bingo hall in the United States, the casino offers high stakes bingo, slot machines, and table games.