26 Killed When Pipeline Leaked and Then Exploded
Reynosa, Mexico
September 18, 2012
CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — A big fire erupted at a natural gas pipeline distribution center near Mexico's border with the United States on Tuesday, killing 26 maintenance workers and forcing evacuations of people in nearby ranches and homes.
Mexico's state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (also known as Pemex) initially reported 10 deaths at the facility near the city of Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas.
Later, the death toll was raised to 26, including a man who was run over when he rushed onto a highway running away from the facility.
Pemex said at a news conference Tuesday night that the fire was extinguished in 90 minutes and the pipeline was shut off. The pipeline carries natural gas from wells in the Burgos basin.
The company's director-general, Juan Jose Suarez, said four of those killed were Pemex employees and the rest were employed by contractors. He told reporters in Reynosa that 46 other workers were injured, including two hospitalized in serious condition.
Suarez said they haven't found any evidence showing it was an attack.
Company executives said there was a gas leak, followed by an explosion, but the precise cause had not been determined.
"Why there was such leak is something that must be investigated," said Carlos Morales Gil, Pemex's director of exploration and production.
Civil protection officials evacuated ranches and homes within three miles (five kilometers) of the gas facility, which is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Reynosa.
Authorities didn't say how many people were evacuated, but the area is sparsely populated, Tamaulipas state's civil protection director Pedro Benavides told a Televisa station.[emphasis added.]
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See where it says, "civil protection officials evacuated ranches and homes within 3 miles." Oh, and the part where it says, "the area is sparsely populated."
ReplyDeleteWhen our North Texas neighbors are within a few feet of drilling sites, valve yards, compressor stations, when miles and miles of gas gathering and transmission pipelines are running through our yards and near our children's schools...
We are reminded of all of that...but right now we offer a prayer for the families of the individuals killed near McAllen, TX from this horrific pipeline explosion. Amen.
Do we need more evidence to prove our need for an immediate moratorium in our densely populated cities such as Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, and Grand Prairie? If several miles of area needed to be evacuated due to a gas pipeline explosion, there would be major gridlock and many deaths for those who would not be able to escape in time. We should give thanks for this day because tick..tick..tick... It can be over in a moment - and without warning.
ReplyDeleteCITIZENS ACROSS THE SHALE SHOULD BE DEMANDING A MORATORIUM AND SHOULD NOT COMPROMISE FOR ANYTHING LESS!
Here is a link to another article on this explosion: http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/13562-ground-shakes-then-mexico-gas-pipeline-explodes
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fish Creek Neighbor. We see from that additional article that there were no warnings prior to the explosion??!
ReplyDeleteLink to the article above
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Until the final moments before the explosion there was no sign anything was wrong, said Vazquez, a worker for contracting firm IANSA. He said the ground shook under him and then the fire erupted.
[...]
MORATORIUM.