Two homeless people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries on Tuesday night after some type of "chemical explosion" occurred on the railroad tracks under the freeway in San Leandro, according to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and Fire Department.
Sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson told Bay City News that two people living at a homeless encampment had been burning flammable gas inside a tent that created a flash fire - the pair were using butan to make hash oi.
Almeda County fire division chief Rob Schnepp said crews were called to Hesperian Boulevard at Springlake Drive on reports of an explosion around 9:30 p.m. They discovered two people had been badly injured and summoned a hazardous materials team to the area to look for what caused their injuries. A third person was burned when one of the two injured people tracked chemicals into the apartment, officials said.
San Leandro police tweeted a photo of their investigation at 9:55 p.m.
SLPD/ACSO and ALCO Fire investigating an explosion on RR tracks at Hesperian/Sweetwater Dr. pic.twitter.com/1UXV5MnITW — San Leandro PD (@SanLeandroPD) April 30, 2014
