BATON ROUGE - Firefighters responded to an explosion late Monday morning caused by a gas leak that ignited when onsite construction crews lit a torch.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department said the blast damaged the kitchen and cafeteria areas of the St. Agnes Church. Two construction workers were taken to a local hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.

Doris Johnson lives next to the church. She described the situation as frightening. She says she not only heard the explosion, but felt it too. 

"The whole house shook and I was in the back getting dressed and it felt like it was a bomb or someone had hit my house," Johnson said. 

She says she knows some workers at the church and is thankful to hear that everyone is okay. 

Investigators on the scene evaluated the damage of the building. They said it was so severe that the building is a total loss. 

Nobody at the church wanted to talk to WBRZ today, but the roads are now open. Authorities say neighbors in the surrounding areas have nothing to worry about at this time.