Gas explosion at Opryland Hotel forces evacuation - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Officials in Nashville say a gas explosion at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center caused the evacuation of more than 5,000 guests overnight, but no injuries were reported.

Capt. Ken Walburn of the Nashville Fire Department says the explosion was reported around 8:15 p.m. Tuesday evening and guests were allowed back into the hotel around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Walburn said it appeared there was a gas leak ignited in a mechanical room in the convention part of the hotel. He said no hotel guest rooms were affected, but it caused significant damage to an escalator, walls and the ceiling.

"It was a loud boom. The whole building shook and I thought it was an earthquake. As a matter of fact a week and a half ago we had one exactly like that in southern California. I looked out the window. There are pipes running across the atrium. They were swaying back and forth, so I just thought it was an earthquake," said one guest.

Hundreds of sheriffs from around the country were staying at the convention center for the 2012 National Sheriffs Association. Walburn says investigators ruled out any suspicious activity.