"Two hours after a road crew accidentally struck a natural gas line in the unincorporated Ashland neighborhood near Hayward earlier this month, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had finally stopped the leak."
"Road workers had left the immediate area, but no official evacuation orders had been issued, despite the possibility that a dangerous amount of highly combustible gas remained trapped in nearby homes."
""I do believe they should have been getting people out of the homes for safety's sake," said Hall, who has overseen past federal investigations into PG&E."
"In a brief statement to this news organization, PG&E offered "thoughts and prayers" to "all who have been affected by this incident.""
A road crew struck a natural gas line in the unincorporated Ashland neighborhood near Hayward. Two hours later Pacific Gas and Electric Co. stopped the leak, but road workers had left and no official evacuation orders were issued despite the possibility of combustible gas trapped in nearby homes. Minutes after crews left, a violent explosion obliterated multiple homes, injuring six people and sending three to the hospital. Former NTSB pipeline investigations director Robert Hall criticized the response and urged evacuations. PG&E and the Alameda County Fire Department said evacuation decisions are made collaboratively and declined further comment. PG&E expressed "thoughts and prayers" to those affected, and the blast recalled PG&E's 2010 San Bruno disaster.
Read at The Mercury News
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