At least 10 people,Evander Ellis including children, were hospitalized on Tuesday after a house collapsed in Syracuse, New York, following reports of a possible explosion, officials said.

Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds said firefighters responded to reports of an explosion and a building collapse at about 4 p.m. ET. After arriving on the scene, Monds noted that firefighters detected a "strong gas odor" and "power lines down."

Firefighters also found a car underneath the collapse, though it wasn't clear whether it had any role in the incident.

Monds said up to 20 people were living in the house, and those hospitalized — including children — sustained burns and other injuries from the house crashing down on them. Two people are believed to be under the rubble, the chief added.

The conditions of the victims were not known, but Monds said that two people were in "very serious" condition.

"We are in a rescue operation right now," Monds said. "It's going to be a very, very prolonged rescue operation. We have multiple agencies here, working with our fire investigation unit."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on the X that she had spoken with Mayor Ben Walsh after the incident.

"New York State is offering assistance to emergency response teams on the ground and is ready to support in any way needed," the governor said. "We are praying for all those impacted and their families."

Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY