Courtney Wallace, a BNSF spokesperson, confirmed that an investigation is underway and said 13 of the train's 110 cars derailed, 10 of which continued to burn Tuesday evening. NASA has officially confirmed that a loud explosion felt and heard in South Texas Wednesday evening came from a 1,000-pound meteor that crashed near McAllen, Texas at approximately 5:23 p.m. News Exxon Texas Explosion. Martinez said she stayed up for hours, watching the scene unfold. An asphalt tank at a plant owned by Rason Asphalt exploded in the early afternoon, causing a loud blast that rattled nearby homes. Neither OSHA nor the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, an independent federal agency charged with looking into industrial chemical accidents, has conducted a systematic investigation of these explosions. In 2019, an explosion caused a massive blaze in the area that processes polypropylene. A construction crew was working with explosives to extract material when the explosion occurred. No. The accident occurred Saturday in the township of Huejutla in Mexicos Gulf coast region known as the Huasteca. Vaggelis Kousioras - stringer, AP. In 2012, she produced the online interactive A Perfect Terrorist: David Coleman Headleys Web of Betrayal, which won an Overseas Press Club of America award. Two people are dead after a chemical leak and explosion Tuesday evening at plant in La Porte, Texas, company officials said. Flames shot out of the top of the damaged tank, and firefighters let the blaze burn out. Webtoday: 2.5 in Mentone , Texas , United States. By The Associated Press. Port Neches, Texas Two explosions at a chemical plant in Texas put 60,000 people under evacuation orders Wednesday. Justin Chambers arrived at the U.S. Polyco plant in Ennis, Texas, on the morning of April 23, 2018, with a job to do. ABC-7 reported the loud boom heard and felt in east El Paso as well as the Lower Valley was in fact an explosion. But central to making determinations about safe protocol is knowing the dangers posed by the specific product youre working with. She said her windows, air conditioning unit and television started rattling following what she believed was an explosion. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) Two people were killed Monday when a storage tank exploded at a Virginia welding business, a fire official said. DENVER (AP) A man who put three failed explosive devices inside a worship hall of Jehovahs Witnesses in suburban Denver before killing his wife and himself there on Christmas morning is suspected of causing an explosion at a union building, police said Wednesday. Carl Bradley Johansson, 64, of Newport Beach also was sentenced for tax evasion and for using fraud to receive more than $954,000 in COVID-19 relief money, according to the U.S. MORGANTOWN, Pa. (AP) A furnace explosion damaged the roof of a titanium plant in southeastern Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving Day, but no one was injured, authorities said. GAITHERSBURG, Md. ", I was just laying in bed and then all of a sudden I felt. PRINCETON, Ind. "Plano Fire-Rescue is working diligently to determine the cause of the blast. Five days after a home exploded in Westworth Village, Atmos Energy said there was "no evidence" to suggest its system was involved. Dont miss a beat. In some states, regulators do not require reporting, based on an incorrect assumption that there are no emissions to report. 6 fuel oil despite temperatures never reaching the flash point. In some cases workers were injured or killed, and some explosions ignited fires in other, nearby tanks, causing whole neighborhoods to be evacuated. In the years since, companies increasingly have mixed additives into residual products. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A Swedish prosecutor wants a supplementary crime scene investigation" at the site of explosions that damaged two natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea and said Friday that a preliminary probe concluded the cause was suspected gross sabotage.". You have no clue whats being distributed and being released in the air that could possibly be extremely harmful and toxic.. The beaches are not closed, but Quintana Island was reportedly closed to all incoming traffic during the afternoon. Officials said the blast could be felt up to 30 miles away, and that by sunrise, toxic plumes could be seen for miles. Our #1 newsletter delivers the weeks climate and energy news our original stories and top headlines from around the web. Martinez said she too had concerns about the air quality, but said she was not worried about continuing to live near the plant following the incident. Authorities work on the scene of an explosion in Austin, Texas, March 12, 2018. The incident investigation will continue," said the company, one of the largest U.S. exporters of liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The collision between a freight and passenger train occurred near Tempe, some 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, and resulted in the derailment of several train cars. As refineries have gotten more efficient at squeezing every valuable drop of more profitable petroleum products, like gasoline or jet fuel, from crude oil, the products at the bottom of the vacuum stack, like asphalt or No. One Twitter user recorded feeling the concussion from the explosion 25 miles away. But I feel as if this one was louder and bigger than the one in 2019, she said. The tanker had brake failure along a major road in the Ofu council area in Kogi state on Thursday night when it collided with a vehicle obstructing the highway, causing a fireball, a police spokesman told The Associated Press. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The noise was also heard and felt in the nearby City of Socorro, according to acity representative. Yet there is reason to believe that changes in the way asphalt and No. The US Geological Survey also told ABC-7 that there was no earthquake in the area. He ran out of the building to see what had happened. When hydrogen sulfide interacts with oxidized iron inside a tank (in the form of rust, for example), it can form a new compound called iron sulfidea pyrophoric substance that, when exposed to air, can ignite. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said there are 33 sites in Texas today, but denied TPRs records request for more information on where they are and who operates them. 6 oil, in bulk storage tanks across the United States, theres the potential for more explosions like the one that injured Chambers or the ones that kill and injure other workers each year. By continuing to use this site, you accept this policy. A shelter-in-place order was also issued, affecting around 5,000 people in the area. The hole in the sewer undermined the soil beneath the gas pipes, causing them to sag and then crack open. Thus it was the combination of the two circumstances which caused the disaster. Six people were hospitalized after a home in a Dallas suburb was leveled by an explosion Monday afternoon, fire rescue officials said. OSHA, the American Petroleum Institute and other organizations have standard protocols to ensure the work is done in as safe a manner as possible. People in the surrounding neighborhood were forced to evacuate and seek shelter in a nearby community center until fire crews extinguished the flames four hours later. At 12:12 p.m., as he stood with one foot on the catwalk and the other on the lid of the Tank #17, Chambers lit his cutting torch, sending sparks flying. The local news outlet reported that 20 nearby homes were damaged, but there was no word of any serious injuries or deaths. The Juarez news outletEl Diarioreported the blast took place on a hill along Camino Real. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, early Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Rosselot added, The potential for higher vapor concentrations needs to be recognized, so that care is taken to prevent the vapors in these tanks and the vapors being emitted from these tanks from coming into contact with a source of ignition.. This article was produced in collaboration with Berkeley Journalisms Investigative Reporting Program. BERLIN (AP) A ship chartered by the operator of the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline has arrived at the site of last month's explosions under the Baltic Sea to survey the damage, the company said Thursday. It's about 70 miles south of Houston. Chambers was thrown across the catwalk and about 30 feet down into Tank #18, which held a few feet of cold, hardened asphalt, topped by about eight inches of stagnant water. They cut a hole through the tank wall to extract him. Thanks for contacting us. Surfside Beach Police Department's Marine Division assisted Port Freeport police and the U.S. Coast Guard on the waterways. Tank explosions occur in two main ways: Vapors ignite after hot torches or other ignition sources are lit nearby, or no ignition source is identifiable and the explosion seems to have occurred spontaneously. ABC-7 reported that police and fire officials could not explain the noise. Police and multiple fire departments responded at 1 a.m. GAITHERSBURG, Md. Most surrounding homes also sustained damage. The explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. There is no tolerance level for explosive concentrations of vapors in tanks that are vented to the atmosphereit is unacceptable for these vapors to be near their explosive limit, said Rosselot. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, By SEUNG MIN KIM, ZEKE MILLER and MICHAEL BALSAMO. The windows on both sides of the building shook, and Patel, the general manager of the motel, said he could feel the blast inside his body. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Authorities on Sunday continued investigating the cause of an explosion that killed three people at a San Antonio construction company. It is now common for additives to comprise up to 20 percent of stored asphalt or No. Volkswagen is recalling nearly 42,000 Beetles in the U.S. and Canada because they have potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. Around 1 a.m. on 12/23/2021, a fire occurred at our facility. MAP EMAIL The cause of the fire was found to be a leaking natural gas line. The explosion, which was captured on video, launched wooden boards, window glass, insulation and other debris at least 100 feet into the air in Evansville, the Evansville Courier & Press reported. ", Download theNBC News appfor breaking news and politics. We rely on donations from readers like you to keep going. MOSCOW (AP) An explosion during repairs on a section of a Europe-bound natural gas pipeline in western Russia killed three people on Tuesday but didnt affect export supplies, officials said. An earlier version of this article incorrectly described how gasoline vapors are controlled in storage tanks. After the explosion in Ennis, Tank #17 was left damaged beyond repair and in need of removal. FARMERSVILLE, Texas (AP) A valve leak and a spark of unknown origin combined to cause a North Texas natural gas pipeline explosion last year that killed two workers and injured two others, federal investigators said. The explosion in the city of Sulimaniyah destroyed three homes and also injured 16 people. The employee suffered minor burns, and the tank lid was blown into the air and landed 150 yard away. / CBS/AP. PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) A methane gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing nine miners and injuring four others, a government official said. As someone who lives close to the refinery, she said, its very concerning. ON December 30, 2021, it was reported that there was a mass explosion in El Paso, Texas. In that case, it turned out the refinery had previously stored other, more volatile materials in the tank, and small amounts had remained and mixed in with the carbon black, leading to a build up of vapors inside the tank. Gonzalez said initial reports suggested that "some type of explosion" had occurred inside the plant. ET, Rohan Davis, a refinery manager at the ExxonMobil site, said that all four people in hospital appeared to be in stable condition. The explosion a night earlier in the city of Sulimaniyah destroyed three homes and also injured 16 people. Though each accident had different particulars, all resulted from a flammable vapor coming in contact with an ignition source created by welding or cutting that was performed in, on, or near tanks that contained flammables.. The February explosion had no obvious causeno nearby sparks or fires. "Nobody was injured or killed," White said. Monday's blasts left one teen dead and As is often the case in explosions without injuries or fatalities, there was no official investigation into the cause by the fire department or any state or federal regulatory agencies. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, One killed in Jackson Heights apartment building fire, At least five died, including two children, in devastating Rockland County fire, Federal judge upholds demotions of FDNY chiefs, Retired NYC firefighter helps Spirit crew put out fire that broke out on plane. Six people were sent to the hospital and four are missing after a Texas pipeline exploded Friday. 6 fuel oilexploded when a worker opened a hatch, allowing oxygen to enter the tank. On Wednesday afternoon, there was a second massive explosion, forcing officials to issue a mandatory evacuation for the four-mile radius surrounding the plant. In that case, the blaze was extinguished hours after it began, but Harris County officials said it continued to release toxic pollutants for eight more days. Train derailment in Springfield, Ohio as residents ordered to shelter in place, Rape survivor 'sobbed seeing Gabby Petito bodycam vid after same cop did nothing', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, An explosion was heard in El Paso on December 30 2021, reported that it "sounded like an earthquake. When asked directly what type of chemical may have been released from the tanks, company officials told ABC13 they were not sure, and advised to ask Freeport police. Long-term exposure has been associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, and can damage the nervous system. U.S. Polyco has countered that R-Tex Services, Chambers employer, was at fault. A gas explosion in an apartment building Saturday killed at least nine people, including four children, on the island of Sakhalin in far eastern Russia, according local authorities. At least three people were transported to hospital by air ambulance as authorities responded to the major industrial accident in Baytown, just over 25 miles east of Houston, officials said. An unexpectedly high concentration of vapors emitted by the heavy oils is likely to play a role in both types of explosions, these experts say. LOS ANGELES (AP) A Southern California trucking company owner who ordered the illegal repair of a tanker that led to a deadly explosion was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison. The Veracruz state civil defense office said most of the people injured in the explosion Tuesday in the town of Agua Dulce suffered first-degree burns. We are still checking.". KHOU reports that Mike White, the Jefferson County Emergency Management coordinator, said there are a few chemicals housed at the facility, including Butadiene. Four injured in refinery fire at Baytown, Texas. These additives are often proprietary chemicals or lighter hydrocarbons that would normally be further refined into diesel. Julia Kane is currently pursuing her masters at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she is focusing on narrative writing and investigative reporting. The explosion happened in a remote area in Orakzai, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, said Mohammad Arif, an adviser for the Mines and Minerals Department. Seven or eight homes in the "very rural area" are affected, and those residents could be displaced for several days, White said. Were asking all of you to keep the victims in your prayers.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. local time, according to a statement from ExxonMobil. (AP) Twelve people were injured, two of them critically, in an explosion and fire at a Maryland apartment building Wednesday and the residents of one unit have not been accounted for, a fire official said. Two foreign residents were injured when they jumped out of windows to escape, said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government's spokesman. This story has been shared 128,919 times. Nederland Volunteer Fire Department - NVFD, Inc. TPC officials know that at least three tanks have been damaged, but firefighters have not been able to fully assess the harm, Monk said. 6 fuel oil, have become more depleted than in the past, making them hard to work with. He said that "for now" there were no indications that nearby residents would need to evacuate the area or shelter-in-place. She said fire crews appeared to contain the blaze within a short time, but by around 10 a.m. local time Thursday morning, smoke was still visible. 'Explosion' at Baytown, Texas ExxonMobil oil refinery leaves several injured U.S. news Several people injured after fire at ExxonMobil oil refinery in Texas At least three Chambers climbed to the catwalk and got ready to separate it from the tops of the tanks. WebShortly before 9 a.m. this morning, loud noises disrupted work in a nitric acid unit at the Invista Chemical Plant in Victoria, Texas. Six days earlier, a similar incident in Stafford, Texas left one man injured and another dead. According to Amy Hodges, the plants spokeswoman, no fire broke out and no one was seriously hurt. "We have multiple calls reporting a loud boom and we have multiple units investigating at all the different locations callers reported," Enrique Dueas-Aguilar with the El Paso Fire Department told The US Sun. A massive explosion and fire occurred at one of the nations largest ExxonMobil refineries in Baytown, Texas, early Thursday morning, sending several workers to a local hospital. A barn burned to the ground, and several nearby houses were evacuated, but most people have returned to their homes. News Houston Texas Explosion. "It's like the whole house was shaken," one woman told CBS News. The personnel were killed when an explosive device detonated during a security operation in the Khan area of the Tarmiyah district. Two months before Tank #17 exploded, on Feb. 2, 2018, there had been an explosion in the other tank, Tank #18. Asphalt additives affect the rate and type of chemical reactions during asphalt processing and storage, the article said. this month: 4.7 in Rotan , Texas , United States. Flames and smoke billowed into the air after the tanker exploded on US Route 15 in Maryland, according to Ron Snyder, public information officer for Maryland State Police (MDSP). COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) There is no indication that either a collision or an explosion caused the 1994 sinking of a ferry in the Baltic Sea in one of Europes deadliest peacetime maritime disasters, the accident investigation boards of Estonia, Finland and Sweden said Monday. In states that do require that emissions be reported, companies estimate them, typically using a formula developed by the petroleum industry that is often wrong and leads to underestimates of vapor pressure and the levels of air pollution the tanks are emitting. Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. A meteor fell in Mission, Texas today around 5-5:30 pm, making a loud bang, shaking house in a 10 mile radius. Texas SWAT commander killed, 4 officers injured in standoff with gunman; suspect captured, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. For decades, companies and regulators assumed that emissions from asphalt and No. Paul Bommer, a petroleum engineer and senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, said he once was called as an expert witness in a case in which a tank containing carbon blacka substance similar to asphalt and No. An 18-wheel truck hit a train carrying chemicals and fuels in Cameron, Texas, early Tuesday, causing a huge explosion and starting a fire that is expected to burn for several days. Two package bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. Fire officials said they were joined at the scene by members of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in addition to Plano police. "However, we havent found anything yet. Officer Kyle Tranovich of the Caernarvon Township police department said a skeleton crew of only six people was working in the TIMET Morgantown plant due to the holiday before the 2:30 p.m. GRASS VALLEY, Ore. (AP) A small town in central Oregon was evacuated and five people were hurt due to a hemp manufacturing plant fire Sunday. 6 fuel oil has a lower flash pointcompanies list it between 140F and 200Fand is stored around 130F. Nearly a year later, Gloucester City Fire Marshal Patrick Hagan said the explosion is still under investigation, but that pyrophoric material buildup in the tank is one of the hypotheses about what caused it. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Federal regulators have determined that a lack of safeguards during a maintenance shutdown led to a 2018 explosion at an oil refinery in Superior. The Associated Press contributed to this report. It was so loud.. It is also a possibility it may have happened on the other side of the border. Jefferson County Emergency Management coordinator Mike White told the Beaumont Enterprise that five residents were being treated for minor injuries, mostly related to shattered glass. Davis said he could not confirm whether an explosion had taken place at the facility. "They are indicating that it could take up to two or three days to actually extinguish the entire fire.". Please enter valid email address to continue. However, right now it is unclear if an explosion took place. Fire officials said that of the six people hospitalized, one was extricated from the rubble of the home that exploded and the other five were in a home next door. IE 11 is not supported. The explosion that injured Chambers was unexpected, but similar accidents had occurred in other places. Whats more, even a small amount of a lower flash point additive could affect the point of ignition of the substance its added to. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit Monday against a milling company for multiple violations at a plant that was the scene of a fatal explosion five years ago. Several people have been injured after an explosion at the ExxonMobil plant in Baytown, Texas, early on Thursday morning. Bomb techs with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to reports of an explosion Sunday morning in Palmdale, officials said. MEXICO CITY (AP) A fireworks explosion at a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico injured 17 people, authorities said Sunday. According to the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management, the incident happened in an isolated area in a field. The blast was so powerful that it sent the 12-foot diameter lid of the tank flying, before it landed on an employees car. However, in many other cases, the causes were either not identified or not publicly released because of the restrictions imposed during litigation., Zaloshs study concluded that flammable vapor concentrations measured in storage tanks of residual fuel oil and of asphalt have shown the presence of flammable concentrations even when the liquid is well below the flash point.. MINOT, N.D. (AP) A small explosion and fire disrupted care on the third floor of a Minot hospital. 6 fuel oil, another heavy oil, have exploded at asphalt plants or terminals around the United States, according to news reports and filings from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. She graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a bachelors of science in electrical engineering. A section of the five-story building in the town of Tymovskoye collapsed after a gas cylinder exploded in one of the apartments at around 5:30 a.m. NEWFANE, Vt. (AP) A man was found dead in a home explosion and fire in the southern Vermont town of Newfane early Friday morning, state police said. Hot workthe use of tools for cutting, grinding and welding that can create sparksis common at industrial plants, and asphalt plants are no exception. Inside Climate News made repeated attempts to speak with Chambers, but messages left on his phone and email and with his family and his attorney were not returned. WebMost of the booms that people hear or experience are the result of human activity, such as an explosion, a large vehicle going by, nearby construction, or sometimes a sonic boom, but there have been many reports of booms that cannot be explained by man-made sources. PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) Would-be thieves tried to blow up an ATM in Southern California, but didn't get away with any cash, authorities said. Harley said she was personally concerned about the potential impact incidents like this one and the fire in 2019 could potentially have on air quality. The bulletin was released in the wake of several incidents in which workers were killed or injured and includes summaries of 11 incidents, none of which involve residual fuels. The plant in Port Neches in southeast Texas, about 80 miles east of Houston, makes chemical and petroleum-based products. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A popular Indianapolis museum was closed for a second straight day Tuesday after recent frigid temperatures caused a pipe to burst, flooding part of the museum, officials said. Yes. July 21, 2021, 8:49 PM PDT. In 2010, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a safety bulletin on preventing worker deaths during hot work in and around tanks. "Air quality tests in the area are ongoing. It asked residents to avoid the area following the blaze, which broke out at around 1 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Pulitzer Prize-winning, nonpartisan reporting on the biggest crisis facing our planet. TOWN OF MAPLE GROVE, Wis. (AP) Four people remain hospitalized in Wisconsin burn centers with injuries from a bonfire explosion last week during a party in the Town of Maple Grove, authorities said Thursday. We deliver climate news to your inbox like nobody else. I didnt want there to be an evacuation and I wouldnt know because I was sleeping.. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. At a press conference Wednesday night, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said that there were also a number of smaller explosions throughout the day. this year: 5.4 in Mentone , Texas At least one house was damaged in the blast, and residents were evacuated from the area, according to the outlet. Shrapnel from the tanker tore into residential buildings and into the soccer pitch. We are saddened by todays tragedy of a house explosion in our City. TPC EXPLOSION: Home video from early morning explosion in Port Neches! The explosion happened just before 8 p.m. when workers for the utility company CenterPoint Energy were trying to shut down a gas line outside a home in the town of Spring, KXAN reported, citing the Harris County Fire Marshals Office. Laboratory tests have shown that addition of only three volume percent of heptane to Number 6 fuel oil, transformer oil, and asphalt, causes flash point reductions of between 60C and 137C, he wrote in the 1997 study. The explosion happened just before 8 p.m. when workers (AP) A body was found in a Maryland garden-style apartment building a day after an explosion and fire there and investigators are looking into the possibility of a criminal, intentional act, officials announced late Thursday. This is the second in a series of articles. Inside a tank, asphalt is often heated to about 300F, meaning that technically, it should be well below the point at which it could light on fire. GAITHERSBURG, Md. He said that so far, there appeared to be no adverse impact due to the blaze. A recent publication by the Asphalt Institute, the main trade group for the industry, warned tank owners and operators about the dangers of pyrophoric material formation in asphalt tanks and advised them to evaluate whether their tanks could be affected. MEXICO CITY (AP) Authorities in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz said 19 people were injured where a pipeline carrying ethane gas exploded. Get a daily email of our original, groundbreaking stories written by our national network of award-winning reporters. When my husband pulled into our garage, the roof in our garage had caved in.. "Kind of like a little mini earthquake.". These kinds of explosions in asphalt tanks have been documented at least since the 1980s. The first explosion occurred just after 1 a.m. Wednesday. Fort Bend County Judge KP George said that residents surrounding the area were evacuated as a precaution. Every day or once a week, our original stories and digest of the web's top headlines deliver the full story, for free. It also apologized for any disruption or inconvenience that this incident may have caused the community.