Gas Line Rupture Sparks Explosion Near Hayward, Injuring Six

A gas line rupture triggered a massive explosion in a residential neighborhood near Hayward, California, on Thursday morning, destroying three buildings, injuring six people and sparking a three-alarm fire that damaged nearby structures.

The blast occurred around 9:38 a.m. in the unincorporated Ashland community along the 800 block of East Lewelling Boulevard, about 15 miles southeast of Oakland. Pacific Gas and Electric Company officials reported that a third-party construction crew, working on a public works project to widen sidewalks and add bike lanes, struck an underground natural gas line at approximately 7:35 a.m. Utility crews arrived promptly to isolate the line, but gas leaked from multiple locations. They halted the flow at 9:25 a.m., yet the explosion followed about 10 minutes later, engulfing three buildings on two separate lots in flames and sending debris scattering across the street.

Alameda County Fire Department spokesperson Cheryl Hurd described the scene as chaotic, with fire, smoke and fallen power lines complicating the response. Seventy-five firefighters battled the blaze, which they fully contained by Thursday night. Some responders felt electric shocks...