NEW CONCORDIA — A women’s shelter became the center of a mystery after several women arrived following a chaotic overnight rescue that shelter workers say they are still trying to understand.

The women were brought to safety around the same period emergency crews were responding to the downtown nightclub explosion. Officials have not publicly connected the two events.

“They looked exhausted, scared and ready to be anywhere else,” said a shelter volunteer. “Whoever brought them here didn’t stay around for paperwork.”

The women are receiving emergency housing and support. Their identities are being withheld, and shelter officials declined to discuss where they had been before arriving.

The timing has fueled rumors that the nightclub blast may have exposed criminal activity larger than the city’s official “gas accident” explanation suggests. Police have asked the public to avoid spreading unverified claims, which in New Concordia traditionally means residents should expect approximately 4,000 more unverified claims by lunch.

The biggest question remains unanswered: Who delivered the women, and what were they escaping?