Boom.
Blast at PayPal forces evacuation of 26 employees
NO ONE INJURED; PROBE CONTINUES
By Sandra Gonzales
Mercury News
An explosion at eBay's PayPal division Tuesday night shattered a window and forced the evacuation of 26 employees, as crews combed the company's North First Street complex for incendiary devices.
No one was injured inside the company's four-story network operations center at 2211 N. First St. in San Jose, and no explosive devices were found in the rest of the company's 100,000-square-foot complex, which police had cordoned off Tuesday night. EBay officials say operations were not disturbed.
``Whatever caused it was pretty strong,'' San Jose Fire Capt. Jose Guerrero said.
Authorities received multiple reports of a smoke detector alarm sounding at 7:34 p.m., Guerrero said, followed a few minutes later by multiple calls of an explosion.
When crews arrived, they found a 6-by-7-foot window had been shattered near a first-floor exit between the network operations center and a nearby building at 2161 N. First St. The window's frame was bent and a light haze covered the area, Guerrero said. No flames, however, were visible, nor was there any other damage. Other debris was in the area, said Guerrero, who couldn't say Tuesday night exactly what the debris was.
``It wasn't anything radioactive,'' Guerrero said.
Meanwhile, teams from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Jose fire's hazardous-materials crew and the San Jose police bomb squad were roaming the buildings. Guerrero said no other explosive devices were found.
Authorities have suspicions about what may have caused the blast, Guerrero said, but he declined to disclose them. No threats were reported ahead of the explosion, Guerrero said. San Jose police are taking over the investigation.
Employees were expected to be allowed back inside early today.
``It was fortunate that no one was hurt,'' said Catherine England, an eBay spokeswoman.
England said she expected business to return to normal today. But she encouraged employees to check their e-mail and to call the emergency numbers on backs of their badges before heading to work today.
Blast at PayPal forces evacuation of 26 employees
NO ONE INJURED; PROBE CONTINUES
By Sandra Gonzales
Mercury News
An explosion at eBay's PayPal division Tuesday night shattered a window and forced the evacuation of 26 employees, as crews combed the company's North First Street complex for incendiary devices.
No one was injured inside the company's four-story network operations center at 2211 N. First St. in San Jose, and no explosive devices were found in the rest of the company's 100,000-square-foot complex, which police had cordoned off Tuesday night. EBay officials say operations were not disturbed.
``Whatever caused it was pretty strong,'' San Jose Fire Capt. Jose Guerrero said.
Authorities received multiple reports of a smoke detector alarm sounding at 7:34 p.m., Guerrero said, followed a few minutes later by multiple calls of an explosion.
When crews arrived, they found a 6-by-7-foot window had been shattered near a first-floor exit between the network operations center and a nearby building at 2161 N. First St. The window's frame was bent and a light haze covered the area, Guerrero said. No flames, however, were visible, nor was there any other damage. Other debris was in the area, said Guerrero, who couldn't say Tuesday night exactly what the debris was.
``It wasn't anything radioactive,'' Guerrero said.
Meanwhile, teams from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Jose fire's hazardous-materials crew and the San Jose police bomb squad were roaming the buildings. Guerrero said no other explosive devices were found.
Authorities have suspicions about what may have caused the blast, Guerrero said, but he declined to disclose them. No threats were reported ahead of the explosion, Guerrero said. San Jose police are taking over the investigation.
Employees were expected to be allowed back inside early today.
``It was fortunate that no one was hurt,'' said Catherine England, an eBay spokeswoman.
England said she expected business to return to normal today. But she encouraged employees to check their e-mail and to call the emergency numbers on backs of their badges before heading to work today.
