HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) — Twenty-four hours after the massive explosion in a Hayward neighborhood, residents are assessing the damage.
The damage in the neighborhood goes beyond the home where the explosion took place. We spoke with several residents who are concerned their homes are not stable after seeing cracks appear overnight after the blast. The aftermath of this explosion is extensive, with residents noticing cracks throughout their homes.
“If you go over here. You can see there is a line right here. This used to be all painted shut, and now it’s open. Then, right here is a two-foot crack,” said Cathy Rodriguez.
Rodriguez’s home is the fourth one down from the house that exploded.
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“When did you notice the cracks?” ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.
“So, I heard my neighbor, Ken, tell me that her ceiling fell in. And when they allowed us to come into the house, because we couldn’t come, I came in and started to look everywhere. Because Deborah’s ceiling fell in too, and I was like, ‘Well, if her ceiling fell in.’ So, I decided to look,” Rodriguez said.
The residents directly next to the blast zone had to evacuate. Their homes are unhabitable. Debra Omotoy is now staying with her sister in Modesto.
“It was so powerful, and the roof went, and I started calling my husband, and the was in the kitchen,” said Omotoy. “When I came out and saw the rest of the house, all the windows blown, and it was pretty intense.”
The Alameda County Fire Department confirmed the three residents who were taken to the hospital in serious condition are now stable: “The injuries noted include burns to an unknown degree, respiratory issues, and bone fractures.”
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PG&E confirmed three of their employees were among the six people who were injured.
Residents on this block are still shaken and uncertain if their homes are safe. Rodriguez is now relocating her family.
“For safety, because I don’t know if there is going to be another explosion,” Rodriguez said.
Aside from the damage and the injuries, what many kept saying here is that they are glad everyone survived.
As to the homes, many residents are questioning the integrity of these structures and are concerned about what will happen when the gas is turned back on.
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