2 Confirmed Dead In Clarke Co. Blast (Pipeline)

2 Confirmed Dead In Clarke Co. Blast (Pipeline)

www.wapt.com

JACKSON, Miss. -- At least two people have died in a gas line blast in Clarke County, Mississippi officials said.

A 42-inch propane line exploded at about 11 a.m. south of Meridian, damaging or destroying five homes near County Road 621.

A one-mile radius is being evacuated.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I haven't hear any mention of the cause. CNN reported a grandmother and daughter were victims plus a third person is missing.

May be a construction accident. The pipeline, owned by Dixie, carries propane.

www.wapt.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Adding from CNN now, that it is being treated as a crime scene but the police didn't think it was intentional. They are also stating it is a 12 inch pipeline.

[edit on 11/1/2007 by roadgravel]

The jury is still out on this but here is a bit of an update.

"What we see happened as far as this gas line, it must have leaked and leaked down into the bottom and then it had some ignition to start it. And it was a flash over, looked like at once," said county supervisor Tony Fleming. "And everything in its path got burned."

Ed Brown of the Mississippi Forestry Commission said the explosion and fire burned 150 acres of timber and pasture land.

...

Dixie Pipeline senior vice president Leonard Mallett said the company's gauges indicate the pipeline rupture was an immediate, catastrophic event, not likely the result of a lingering leak that went unnoticed. He said there was no evidence of tampering.

"This was an abrupt situation," Mallett said.

Link to Houston Chronicle article

Sounds like there indeed was a leak for a period of time before it got ignited. Of course Dixie will downplay that possibility.

It seems quite likely that a leak could go unnoticed that could allow a cloud to build up over time. It wouldn't be the first time that has happened.

The weather history at Meridian show no wind over night and almost all morning except for a brief period of 4 mph winds around 9AM and then calm again. Sounds right for a cloud to build up in the area.

Hopefully we find out soon.