A natural gas explosion in an oven at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on Tuesday injured 10 inmates, including one critically, and a guard, officials said.
The blast at the jail at 5325 Broder Blvd. happened about 11:30 a.m. An oven door measuring 7 by 3 feet -- and weighing several hundred pounds -- flew off, hitting an inmate kitchen worker on the head, said Sgt. J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County sheriff's office, which runs the jail.
That inmate and three others were taken to hospitals, while seven other inmates were being treated at the jail's infirmary. None was identified. A deputy suffered ringing in the ears but did not require medical treatment, Nelson said.
The jail was placed on lockdown as a result of the incident.
While natural gas ignited, the precise cause of the blast wasn't known, authorities said. No foul play is suspected, and sheriff's investigators and the Alameda County Fire Department are investigating.
The facility houses 4,000 inmates in 18 housing units, and the food service operation produces "12,000 economical meals per day," according to the sheriff's website. The oven that blew open has been used since the jail opened in 1989.
Nelson said he saw the damage caused by the blast.
"You could see a very heavy stainless steel door that is on the ground and, obviously, it knocked a few things down along its path," Nelson said. "It was a significant explosion."
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