the powerful blast in kaohsiung took place in the early hours of friday. at least 26 people were killed and 280 others were injured. nhk world's noriyuki tajima has more from the site of the explosion. >> reporter: a large part of the street has caved in. this shows how intense the explosions were. cars have been flipped over. and there is rubble everywhere. an unknown number of firefighters are said to be among the injured. >> translator: suddenly i heard an explosion, and the ground split open. i hurt my arm and knee. >> translator: i've never seen anything like this before. it looks like the street was bombed. >> reporter: residents say the blasts were loud. they say the ground shook like an earthquake. noriyuki tajima, nhk world. >> taiwanese authorities are investigating the cause of the blast. they suspect that a leak from a gas pipe caused the series of deadly explosions. the explosions were felt over a three square kilometer area. the district consists of commercial and residential buildings. kaohsiung officials say shortly before the incident resi

kaohsiung officials say shortly before the explosions, residents smell bhad they thought was gas. firefighters were checking for a possible gas leak when the blasts occurred. local media say pipes used by oil and gas companies run beneath the si >>> israeli forces and fighters from hamas have set down their arms and entered a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire and they're hoping it's the start of a longer t u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon and u.s. secretary of state john kerry made the announcement. hamas said they're acknowledging a call by the u.n. and considering the people of gaza. delegates from israel and hamas are expected to start negotiations in cairo. the talks mediated by egyptian officials. israel is expected to demand the demilitarization of gaza and the destruction of militants' infiltration tunnels. hamas is likely to demand the economic blockade imposed on gaza be lifted. if the negotiations collapse, the 72-hour truce could be broken. u.s. secretary of state john kerry has urged all parties involved to focus on finding the road ahead following the truce agreement.

the powerful blast in kaohsiung took place in the early hours of friday.at least 26 people were killed and 280 others were injured. nhk world's noriyuki tajima has more from the site of the explosion. >> reporter: a large part of the street has caved in. this shows how intense the explosions were. cars have been flipped over. and there is rubble everywhere.

it happened in the southern city of kaohsiung. natural gas leaks set off a chain-reaction of explosions that left behind a trench six feet deep and several miles long... and killed at least 24 people. the sheer force of the blasts blew cars and people 40 to 50 feet in the air. fires broke out, but they've since been put out. several people are still missing. two americans who are infected with ebola in liberia, are returning to the united states. this jet departed atlanta for libera to pick up both patients yesterday. an isolation pod is set up inside to protect the crew from getting infected. doctor kent brantly and nancy writebol are currently in stable, but grave condition. at least one of them will be kept in isolation at a hospital at emory university, near the c-d-c. when they get here, it will be the first time that known ebola cases will be in the u-s. >> they need to be in the isolation and that that needs to be pristine, the way the air circulates to the way the people are allowed to enter. all that is unnecessary and qu