[Faline]

Authorities say five spectators were injured and one may lose limbs after shrapnel was sent flying at the demolition of a decommissioned steam power plant.

A 43-year-old man was taken to a trauma center with a severed leg and four people were treated for minor injuries at the implosion of the Pacific Gas and Electric plant early Saturday in Bakersfield, CA., officials told MailOnline.

The man, who has yet to be identified, may lose both of his legs, according to officials..

A 1,000-foot perimeter had been erected around the decommissioned steam plant plant. All of the injured spectators were standing where it was permitted. Despite the wide perimeter, the mass of spectators was still in harm's way.
The unidentified man faces 'one obvious [leg] amputation,' an official told the Bakersfield Californian, and 'possibly a second.' Kern County Fire spokesperson Leland Davis declined to confirm the individual's identity, as well as whether a second amputation had happened. He was first taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a regional trauma center in Fresno, the spokesperson noted.
Kelly Patt, 21, was shocked by the extent of the man's injuries.
'I saw that dude’s leg and I had to walk away,” he told the paper. 'There was a lot of blood, a lot of blood.'
Several of the hundreds gathered to watch the old plant come down were hit by debris, with some even sharing pictures of fist sized chunks sent hurtling towards them in the blast.

A Pacific Gas and Electric spokesman says the safe distance had been determined by subcontractors hired to work with local authorities and handle the demolition of the boiler structures on the property.
One witness told the paper that in the span of a minute the crowd went from cheering to screaming for help. the total number of injured is still not known, officials said.
One of the injured, Fred Garten, 49, told the Californian that he was well behind police barricades when a four-foot-by-six-foot piece of metal hit his right leg just below the knee, slicing it open and covering his shorts and socks in blood.
'It’s a good gouge, but it’s just scratches. It’ll heal,' Garten said, adding 'I just feel bad for the other guy. They took him away on a gurney, and I’m walking.'

'We’re still waiting to see if there are more as people show up at hospitals,' Bakersfield Police spokesperson Scott Tunnicliffe told the paper.
A number of vehicles were also damaged in the blast. Blast attendee Robert Rodriguez, 22, told the paper he returned to see his car ravaged by holes and dents.
'The manager told us one of the cars was hit. I didn’t think it was mine, but it was my bad luck,' said Rodriguez.
This is not the first serious accident involving the plant. A 51-year-old contractor died after falling 50 feet to his death last year during the plant's dismantling. A construction worker died while the plant was being built in the 1940s, the paper noted.
The plant closed for good in 1995 after being decommissioned in 1986.

PG&E, the plant's owner, issued an apology for the injuries.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured during the demolition, the statement said. 'Safety of the public and employees is our first priority at all times, and we are deeply saddened that at least one individual suffered serious injuries.'
'We will work closely with all investigating agencies and the third-party contractors who managed and carried out the demolition as they work to identify the cause of this accident,' the statement continued.
An investigation involving federal and local authorities will take place to determine why an appropriate safe viewing distance was not determined, a Bakersfield Police spokesperson told MailOnline.

[kellyhound]

i smell lawsuits coming up.
a day out to watch a demolition and returning home with possibly no legs

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Oh, yeah. Many jobs will be lost. People are just getting stupider and stupider. Mike Judge called it.

[JohnFrash]

Foreman: "You sure you this is far enough?"
Safety Inspector: "Go away! I'm batin'!"

[jinhwangtikatang]

He will save money on shoes if he loses his legs. Every cloud has a silver lining, even if its made out of jagged bits of metal.

[audiomouth]

I was reading on this yesterday. PG&E said that the blast radius was of X amount; and for those people who got hit by the shrapnel were NOT in the cleared safety blast radius. They're trying to cover their own azzes of course.