A suspected gas explosion at a jail in northwest Florida Wednesday night killed two inmates, while three others went missing and 150 people were injured.

"The explosion shook us so hard it was like we were in an earthquake," said Monique Barnes, an inmate who told The Associated Press that she was knocked off her fourth-floor bed. "It was like a movie, a horrible, horrible movie."

The powerful blast caused part of the jail in the Florida Panhandle to collapse, leading to the evacuation of almost 600 inmates. Injured convicts were transported to hospitals while others were taken to nearby jails.

Two inmates, who have not been identified, died in the blast at the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Center, county Sheriff David Morgan said.

Morgan said Thursday that there is a possibility that the inmates died inside the jail or escaped in midst of the chaos following the blast, CNN reported. Deputies haven't been able to do much investigating inside of the building to look for the inmates.

"It's pretty much complete destruction inside this facility. It was a huge explosion," he said.

Morgan said the officials hope to begin searching the jail soon to provide an update by Thursday evening.

The explosion in the medium-security facility occurred near the jail's booking area, causing what looks like the ceiling and part of a wall to collapse. Morgan added that the entire building will likely be a total loss.

Although the cause of the explosion has not been confirmed, people in the area reported a strong smell of natural gas before the blast.