A 6.0 magnitude quake in California’s San Francisco Bay area, the strongest in 25 years, is reported to have rendered hundreds of the residents homeless, even as workers began the assessment of the damage it has caused.
Reports said that no life was lost in the quake which started fires, cracked roads, caused gas and water leaks and left dozens of buildings uninhabitable, but that scores of people sought medical care after it occurred, hitting four miles from the town of American Canyon.
The city of Napa was said to be one of the worst affected areas, with fire-fighters tackling some six blazes, as well as dozens of burst water mains and gas pipes.
Rescuers were seen still checking buildings overnight for anyone who might be trapped even as the clear-up gathered momentum from dawn today.
The Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa reported treating 172 people, although many were for minor injuries. This was even as a man is said to be in critical condition, while a 13-year-old boy is seriously ill after being hit by debris from a fireplace.
Nola Rawlins, a resident of a mobile home park hit by a fire, said: “There were some explosions, and it was burning. Everybody was out in the street. I didn’t get anything out of the house.”
David Gadlin, manager of an olive oil shop in Napa, also said: “It could have been a lot worse if it happened when customers and workers were inside. We will get through this.”
City public works director, Jack LaRochelle said the major concern in Napa was the water mains system.
He said that teams are working in 12-hour shifts to restore water, but that the roads are not seriously damaged and bridges are “in pretty good shape.”
Meanwhile, Governor Jerry Brown has already declared s state of emergency in the affected area even as President Barack Obama has been briefed on the earthquake. [myad]
