Four people have been reported missing and six others have been hospitalized after a gas pipeline exploded in Texas.
The Coast Guard in the Port of Corpus Christi said the four people reported missing are crew members on the vessel Waymon L Boyd.
Corpus Christi Fire Department Chief Roberts Rocha said firemen ‘encountered heavy fire and smoke conditions’ upon arrival.
In a statement, the Port of Corpus Christi said a natural gas pipeline was involved and workers isolated it.
“There is no threat to public safety,” the statement added.
US Coast Guard Lt. Marina Lawrence said the dredging vessel, a barge-like ship equipped with a device to suck or scrap sediment deposits on the sea bed, struck a submerged pipeline.
The ship’s owner said there were 18 people at the site when the blast occurred.
Six people were rushed to a hospital and one of them had severe burns. Rocha said the US Coast Guard rushed two to the hospital while the Fire Department transported four.
A spokesperson for the Corpus Christi fire department said the fire ignited due to its proximity to many refining facilities.
Corpus Christi, which has become a vital exporting locale for crude oil, is home to a number of shipping ports and oil refineries.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was monitoring the air quality and the state was working with authorities in the area.
“The state stands ready to provide any additional personnel and resources needed to address this event and keep Texans in the area safe,” the statement read.
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