HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) — At least six people were injured in the explosion at a Hayward building Thursday after a gas line ruptured.
ABC7 News spoke to several residents who described two women in pajamas walking out of their home after the explosion with severe physical injuries. Neighbors and paramedics ran to their aid.
“The younger girl had blood all over the face, she was in complete shock,” said Oscar Vazquez, a resident in the area. “I think there might have been something with her arm being dislocated because she had kind of like an awkward position. They looked in shock and easily that the explosion took out their eardrum – I assume – because people were trying to talk to them and they were not really hearing it.”
RELATED: Shocking video shows massive Hayward building explosion after gas line rupture; 6 injured
A gas explosion set off a major fire in a Hayward neighborhood on Thursday after obliterating at least one home, blowing out windows and shaking nearby houses. Six people were taken to hospitals for injuries, fire officials said.
Vazques said the two women walked slowly out of the home where the explosion took place. One of them was described as an older woman.
“Just looked like she was about to fall over, she was having a hard time walking,” Vazquez said. “Some of the neighbors were helping her walk away from the debris and getting her to a safe place.”
Paramedics arrived and confirmed six people were taken to hospitals nearby.
“There were people with different extents to their injuries. Three were considered immediately transfer and three were minor injuries,” said Ryan Nishimoto, Deputy Chief for the Alameda County Fire Department.
Eden Hospital confirmed one of the three victims in serious condition remains in their care. The other two patients were transferred to other hospitals.
At the scene, sheriff’s deputies began to move people out of the blast zone for safety.
“When they arrived here, they immediately started looking at – okay, they saw a hazardous area and they started getting people and moving them to safety and then they started organizing rides to hospitals,” said Roberto Morales with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
Initially, first responders were searching for two individuals at the explosion site. Urban Search and rescue crews were deployed searching for signs of life.
“She has not indicated any life source. So, she will only indicate if there is someone alive,” said Rudy Valencia with the Berkely Fire Department.
Several hours after the explosion, Alameda County Fire confirmed the two people who were unaccounted for were located.
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