California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : 4 in Finance District Hurt by Explosion

A gas explosion ripped through a building in San Francisco’s Financial District, injuring at least four people and damaging about 10 buildings, police said. The four injured received minor cuts when the explosion on Kearny Street smashed windows along an entire block of businesses and sent glass and debris flying into the sparse crowd, police said. Most businesses along the block were closed at the time of the blast. At least two of the injured were sitting in cars when they were struck by flying glass, fire officials said. The explosion occurred less than a block from where five people were crushed to death Nov. 28 when a 240-ton crane toppled from a high-rise under construction. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.