(Springfield, MO) -- A massive explosion in a west Springfield neighborhood Thursday afternoon destroyed at least one house and heavily damaged several others.

KOLR10's Joy Robertson is at the scene.  She reports the blast in the area of West Chestnut Expressway and Brown Street, was called in to police about 3:45, by neighbors who said they could feel the shock of the blast from blocks away. 

Louise Whall, spokesperson for the City of Springfield, said the people who live in the house that was destroyed have been accounted for.  Amazingly, there are no injuries reported.  Whall said 5 to 8 nearby homes also have heavy damage.  Utilities to the neighborhood have been cut off. 

Some neighbors reported smelling natural gas immediately before and after the blast, but Whall said the cause of the explosion has not been confirmed. 

Traffic is blocked to keep onlookers away from the area.   Updates will be posted here as they become available.

The homeowners, Albert Brown and his wife, (right) arrived on the scene about 5:00 pm to survey the damage.

UPDATE 5:35pm: Watch video from the scene with Joy Robertson and an interview with Springfield spokesperson Louise Whall.

UPDATE 6:06pm: No injuries reported in home explosion. Six houses are classified as uninhabitable. Red Cross is on scene assisting those in need.