Friday, September 10, 2010

Gas Line Explosion In San Bruno California Destroys 53 Homes, Injures Many

TREVOR HUNNICUTT
Associated Press Writer

Updated 11:55 a.m. EST

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Fire crews sprayed water on smoldering homes Friday morning after a massive explosion apparently triggered by a broken gas line sent flames roaring through a neighborhood near San Francisco, killing six people and injuring dozens, officials said.



Fire crews are still working to douse the blaze and authorities have said there could be other casualties. The number of deaths was rising: San Francisco state Sen. Leland Yee told The Associated Press he was briefed at the scene Friday morning by the California Emergency Management Agency and at least six people have died.

California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado said at a news conference he knew of at least four people killed and more than 50 injured. He said a natural gas line ruptured at 6:24 p.m. Thursday near the blast but they're not yet sure why. The explosion was heard for miles and shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet in the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety and rushing to get belongings out of burning homes. The blast left a giant crater and sent flames tearing across several suburban blocks in San Bruno.

After the initial blast, flames reached as high as 100 feet (30 meters) as the fire fueled itself on burning homes, leaving some in total ruins and reducing parked automobiles to burned out hulks. At least 38 homes were destroyed and dozens more seriously damaged, fire officials said early Friday.

The fire had spread to 10 acres (four hectares) and was 50 percent contained late Thursday, said Jay Allen, spokesman for the California Emergency Management Agency.

California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Asia on a trade mission, declared a state of emergency in San Mateo County.

"It was like a bomb went off," Maldonado told CNN from the scene early Friday.

He said the cause of the conflagration was still unclear.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Friday morning a damaged section of a 30-inch (76-centimeter) steel gas pipeline had been isolated and gas flow had been stopped. About 300 customers were without gas service and about 700 without electricity at 4 a.m. Friday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that it has sent a four-member team to San Bruno to investigate the blast.

Fire Capt. Charlie Barringer said the neighborhood was engulfed by the time firefighters arrived, even though the fire station was only a few blocks away. He said the blast took out the entire water system, forcing firefighters to pump water from more than two miles (three kilometers) away.

Victims suffering from serious burns began arriving at San Francisco Bay area hospitals shortly after the blast. An estimate of the number of injured wasn't immediately available.

Stephanie Mullen, Associated Press news editor for photos based in San Francisco, was attending children's soccer practice with her two children and husband at Crestmoor High School when she saw the blast at 6:14 p.m.

"First, it was a low deep roar and everybody looked up, and we all knew something big was happening," she said. "Then there was a huge explosion with a ball of fire that went up behind the high school several thousand feet into the sky.

___

Associated Press Writers Juliana Barbassa in San Bruno and Marcus Wohlsen, John S. Marshall and Jason Dearen in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)