Which of the following perils is covered under the personal property section of the HO-B policy?

The personal property section of the HO-B policy includes various perils that can result in damage or loss of insured property. Explosion is a covered peril because it represents an unexpected and violent release of energy, which can lead to significant damage to personal property. Such incidents can occur due to various reasons, such as a gas leak or a failure in machinery, and insurance policies like HO-B are designed to provide coverage for similar sudden and accidental events.

On the other hand, wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, and earthquake typically fall outside the coverage of standard homeowners insurance policies like HO-B. Wear and tear is considered a normal deterioration that occurs over time and is not due to a specific incident. Mechanical breakdown involves issues with machinery or appliances that fail due to age or lack of maintenance and is also not typically covered. Earthquake coverage may require a separate endorsement or policy, as it represents a specific risk that many standard housing insurance policies choose not to cover without additional provisions. This distinction helps clarify the types of perils homeowners insurance is designed to protect against.