Hensel Phelps Investigates San Diego Hotel Explosion

A natural gas leak in a fifth-floor utility room was the cause of an explosion at the
Hilton San Diego Convention Center Hotel Monday, according to the San Diego Fire Department, which adds that a short in an electrical outlet or boiler switch caused the spark.

The explosion blew out windows and walls from the fourth to seventh floors of the 32-story, 1,190-room hotel, which is located on Harbor Drive near the convention center.
Fourteen workmen were injured in the explosion, with three critical being treated at press time for burns on up to 30% of their bodies.

Initial reports by the fire department indicated that the hotel was not structurally damaged by the explosion. Cal-OSHA spokeswoman Kate McGuire says an investigation is currently underway.

Cuyler McGinley, operations manager at Hensel Phelps Construction Co.’s office in Irvine, says the incident occurred where gas is fed to the domestic water system.

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“First, the thoughts and prayers of the entire construction team and our company are with the injured workers and their families,” McGinley says in a company press statement. “San Diego Police and Fire Department performed an outstanding job of securing the site and transporting 13 people to the hospital. All but four have been released; three people are being treated for burns. The injured employees worked for subcontractors on the site.”

McGinley says Hensel Phelps has secured the site and suspended work while damage is being assessed. San Diego building officials have inspected the site and turned it back over to Hensel Phelps.

“At this time it looks like the damage, while extensive, was not structural and was confined to a small portion of the building,” adds McGinley. “Engineers have been onsite to verify the structure is safe. Once we verify there was no structural damage we will implement a plan to safely remove the debris and repair the building. At this point we are optimistic that this will not affect the opening date this fall. We will share any additional information as it becomes available.

“Safety is a key value at Hensel Phelps. We will work diligently with appropriate regulatory agencies to determine the exact cause of the incident. Our focus right now is tending to the needs of those who have been hurt in this incident.”

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