A massive home explosion in California’s East Bay sent six people to the hospital Thursday morning, leveling multiple buildings and shaking an entire neighborhood.
Dramatic doorbell-camera footage captured the blast as it ripped through a property near Hayward.
The huge, sudden explosion sent debris high into the air before flames engulfed the area.
WATCH:
“It was scary,” said Christian Maldanado, who recorded the footage.
“It was like a scene from Hollywood. It was unreal.”
Three Buildings Destroyed, Dozens of Firefighters Shocked by Fallen Power Lines
According to the Alameda County Fire Department, 75 firefighters responded to the three-alarm inferno.
The blast destroyed three buildings and damaged nearby homes.
Some firefighters were forced to retreat briefly after feeling electric shocks from downed power lines.
Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nishimoto said the destruction spanned two separate lots.
A local resident, identified as Deborah, told KTVU the blast tore through her own home as well.
“Every window in my house was blown open,” she said.
“There are cracks in the ceiling.
“My house is destroyed.”
Gas Line Damage Reported Ahead of Explosion
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) said it received a report at 7:35 a.m. that a construction crew, unaffiliated with the utility, had struck an underground gas line.
PG&E workers arrived to isolate the damaged portion, but gas continued leaking from multiple locations.
The utility confirmed that workers managed to shut off the flow at 9:25 a.m., yet the explosion still occurred roughly 10 minutes later.
“Gas was flowing for two hours, but the explosion happened 10 minutes after the line was shut off,” PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said.
PG&E also confirmed that three of its workers were among the injured.
The other three hospitalized individuals were members of the household that exploded and are being treated for third-degree burns, according to a family member.
Neighborhood in Shock as Investigation Begins
The blast occurred in Ashland, an unincorporated community near Hayward, a city of 160,000 residents located about 15 miles south of Oakland.
The neighborhood, consisting of single-level homes, has been undergoing construction for wider sidewalks and bike lanes.
Interstate 238 was temporarily closed by the California Highway Patrol as emergency crews responded.
Authorities say the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
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