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An underground natural gas pipeline blew up in a San Bruno neighborhood south of San Francisco this evening, engulfing whole blocks in a fireball. Firefighters summoned from around Northern California fought the flames from the air and on the ground, unsure at first what had exploded. Once officials got a handle on what had happened and began reducing the fire, they were able to count 53 homes destroyed. Another 120 or so are damaged. Three people have been reported dead, but there may be more. Hospitals around the Bay Area received more than 30 injured, most of them burned. Pacific Gas & Electric confirmed that one of its natural gas transmission lines ruptured, causing the fire. "Residents who witnessed the explosion described a roaring sound like that of a jet engine, followed by a thud so enormous it felt 'like an earthquake,'" says the Bay Citizen. LAT, Chronicle, Mercury-News
Photo: Bay Citizen.org