Explosion collapses part of motel in Georgia; maintenance worker missing

BREMEN, Ga. -- A two-story motel partially collapsed after an explosion Tuesday, and a maintenance worker was feared trapped in the rubble, authorities said.

Investigators said it appeared to have been a gas explosion that rattled the 73-room motel shortly before 9 a.m., collapsing the roof over a corner of rooms and dumping debris on cars parked below.

Bremen fire chief Clark Farr said six to eight rooms were destroyed and the damage was centered around a laundry-maintenance room.

Most of the motel's occupants had checked out by then, and only three or four people were inside at the time of the blast, said Bremen Police Capt. Richard Harrison. He said all of the motel's guests were accounted for, but a 44-year-old maintenance worker was missing and feared to be trapped in the collapsed corner of the building.

The search for the worker was hindered by lingering hot spots from the fire, officials said.

The explosion could be heard at least two miles up the road at a Holiday Inn Express, said front desk clerk Lacey Bryant.

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commission John Oxendine said the cause of the explosion was under investigation.

The motel's signs advertised it as a Quality Inn & Suites, but its affiliation with the national franchise chain ended a year ago, said Robin Ferrier, a spokeswoman with Choice Hotels International, which owns the Quality Inn name. The motel's manager was not immediately available for comment.

The motel is near Interstate 20 and about 10 miles east of the Alabama border.