STOCKTON, Calif. — Three people were hospitalized and dozens of families were displaced after an explosion rocked an apartment complex in Stockton around 6 p.m. Friday, according to the Stockton Police Department.
The explosion happened at the Inglewood Garden Apartments in the 6400 block of Inglewood Ave.
"I was watching T.V. and I thought that someone threw a bomb through my slider door," apartment resident Eva Fitsimons recounted. "I didn't take time to do too much. Someone heard me and they were saying, 'get out, get out!' and so I did."
Fitsimons and dozens of other residents are now left wondering what to do next after the unexpected blast sent debris scattered over a large crime scene spanning several feet.
"With that blast, It could have killed a lot of people," one resident said. "It's so strong. The blast was so strong. Everything in my apartment like the ceiling fan, everything on the wall."
The Friday night incident was also frightening for those with family members who live in the complex. Stockton resident Jacqueline Armenta's Friday night took an unexpected and disheartening turn when she got a call from her grandmother who lived at the Inglewood Garden Apartments.
"She was really panicking. She was trying to get out but she wasn't able to get through the front doors because the doors were stuck due to the explosion. It knocked everything off as well as the lock on the doors." Armenta said at the scene. "I was scared. I was with my kids and so I had to leave them with my cousin to come over here to get my grandmother to make sure she was safe."
The explosion forced PG&E to shut off power in the area for several hours following the blast.
Red Cross disaster responders also responded scene and met with residents affected at the Troke Public Library at 502 W Benjamin Holt Drive.
Officials are investigating what caused the explosion.
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