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Fire officials confirmed six individuals were taken to hospital
Janie HarThursday 11 December 2025 22:33 GMT
CloseFire officials confirmed six individuals were taken to hospital
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A powerful gas explosion has ripped through a residential neighbourhood in Hayward, California, injuring six people and completely destroying at least one property.
Dramatic video footage captured the moment a house was obliterated, sending wood and debris soaring into the air as thick smoke billowed across the San Francisco Bay Area city.
Brittany Maldonado, who lives opposite the affected property and provided doorbell camera footage, described the terrifying experience, "We were sitting in the house and it just ... everything shook. Stuff fell off the walls and when we looked at the camera it was like you were watching a war video."
Fire officials confirmed six individuals were taken to hospital, though the extent of their injuries and whether they were residents or construction workers remains unknown, according to officials. Two homes were affected the most by the brunt of the blast, with another building also sustaining burns, according to police.
Fire officials confirmed six individuals were taken to hospital (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)A spokesperson with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said a construction crew damaged an underground gas line around 7:35 a.m. The company said it was not their workers.
Utility workers isolated the damaged line and stopped the flow of gas at 9:25 a.m., PG&E said. The explosion occurred shortly afterward, according to the camera footage.
The doorbell footage showed an excavator digging in front of the house moments before the massive explosion, instantly blowing out walls and roof. Onlookers appeared dazed before rushing towards the wreckage to search for victims, and emergency sirens could be heard in the distance as police arrived at the scene, while flames began to spread at the site of the demolished building.
Police quickly arrived at the scene as flames began to spread from the demolished structure.
At least eight fire engines and two fire trucks responded to the three-alarm blaze.