Strong Commitments for Flower Branch Survivors

By Michelle Basch | @MBaschWTOP July 25, 2018 12:37 amSILVER SPRING, Md. — Nearly two years after a deadly explosion blew through the Flower Branch Apartments in Silver Spring, survivors have asked for more help as they continue trying to put their shattered lives back together.The explosion and fire on Aug. 10, 2016, left 7 dead, dozens injured and dozens more displaced.At a meeting organized by a group called Action in Montgomery and held at JoAnn Leleck Elementary School at Broad Acres Tuesday, several survivors described what they went through on the day of the tragedy, and what they’ve been dealing with since.Maria Victoria Reyes said she was in her apartment with her daughter that night drinking coffee  when they heard a “rumble.”The ceiling fell down on them, covering them with burned debris and glass.

“My daughter and I could only see each other’s faces and the sky even though we were in the basement. We were covered up to our necks. We could not move,” she said in Spanish.Victoria Reyes said the injuries she suffered left her unable to work even though she wants to provide for her family, and that it has affected her mental health.