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A natural gas explosion destroyed a duplex in Lewisville, Texas, several hours after construction workers mistakenly cut a gas line.
The duplex behind the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church of God is owned by the Christian Community Actions, an organization that assists people who are in need.
The home exploded at 12:30 p.m., while crews were working to repair a gas leak. Construction workers mistakenly cut a 4-inch gas line in the area at about 10 a.m., investigators said.
Emergency crews at the time said they had the issue under control and that no evacuations were necessary. But fire officials later said that they had evacuated a block downwind of the gas leak.
The house that exploded was not included in the evacuations.
Cause of blast being investigated
Atmos Energy said the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Two Lewisville firefighters and a man who was inside the duplex at the time of the explosion were sent to area hospitals after the explosion, according to fire officials.
The man who was inside the duplex was critically injured and taken to Medical Center of Lewisville. He underwent surgery and was later airlifted to Medical Center of Plano, where he was in intensive care Friday night. He is expected to survive.
The injured firefighters were released from the hospital Friday.
Witnesses said the explosion "felt like a bomb went off" and said they could feel the shock wave from blocks away.
"Honestly, I didn't see anything at first," said Danny Vigil, who lives in the area. "What I felt was a huge explosion. It was almost as if you were sitting in a movie, a big action movie -- you hear bombs going, that’s what it sounded like."
"Pictures were rattling, falling onto the ground," he said. "The first thing I did was run out the front door -- ran all around because I thought some car hit our home. [I] ran to the back, I saw flames, smoke, debris in the air, shingles, branches. It was just an unbelievable sight.”
"I was sitting at my desk whenever was a loud explosion," Dwayne Ryaman said. "[I] literally thought maybe an 18-wheeler had ran into my building at first."
“When I came out of my door, I immediately saw the black smoke and flames," he said. "I got a little bit closer to the scene, saw the debris that was strewn out in the middle of the street."
Debris covered the roadway in the 500 block of East Main Street in Lewisville. The road was shut down while emergency crews worked near the scene.
None of the surrounding homes or businesses were damaged in the explosion.
NBC 5's Ellen Goldberg and Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.
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At this point, the source of ignition is believed to be brimstone.
oops !!!
The Lighthouse Pentecostal Church has set up a first aid station where victims can come for divine healing.
I get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that my government protect corporations like Atmos from having to use their corporate profits to fix their ailing infrastructures. Don't worry, our representatives in Congress will give them a big corporate tax break on taxpayer money to fix it. Hell yea, go Crony-Capitalism!
We have to call "Miss Dig in Michigan before we dig period, all underground lines are marked with flags. Maybe the Union Guys from the Rustbelt had it right after all. Motown
"The house that exploded was not included in the evacuation" WTF?
trust, in THIS CASE, workers cut the 4" gas line, nothing to do with "ailing infrastructure" here, purely human error.
"gee wally, this 4 inch pipe must be a sewer line, lets cut it"
trust2112, you got something gasious in your head alright. Did you even read the article? What a moron!
How incredible that these three people were not killed in the explosion. The fact that only those down wind were evacuated really surprises me. Given the poor record of past gas leaks from accidentally cut pipes with other buildings which have been destroyed, I am very surprised, more steps weren't taken to immediately keep people out of the area. If this isn't a safety reminder to remove everyone possible out of situations in the future, I don't know what will be. No doubt those fire fighters will help their department change their protocols.
Now that's what I call a bang-up job.
Am I the only one who feels that this crap is happening way too often? The petroleum industry (gas, both liquid and gaseous, heating oil, diesel, gasoline, etc.) is making BILLIONS of dollars a year off the sweat of our brows. It is high time they spent a significant percentage of that every year on up-grading their transmission system before we have a really huge event killing hundreds of people. Enough is enough and none of that crap about doing so will cause rates to sky rocket. They'll only sky rocket if the uber-corporations try to profit from what they should be legally required to do at their own expense!!
This is one of the reasons we need to go Green. It'd be interesting to know how many Texans would agree with that.
Do you heat water with solar panels?
Morning, DB.
After reading the story on "zombie titles" yesterday, I better understand how so many homes and abandoned buildings are blowing up.
For the safety of everyone in the towns and cities, emergency laws need to be passed about this, and curiously enough, the laws concern the actions of banks and mortgage companies more so than gas companies.
gm mimi,
Agreed. The gas companies read meters and respond to shutoff requests. Banks and mortgage companies should be required to have utilities shut off as part of the foreclosure process.
screminmimi- there are laws against shooting other people also, and as we all know, that hasn't worked yet either. just saying.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't have them.
REALLY. With what.
Facts:
The Longterm Strategic Goal of the Chinese and Russian Federation has been to get the US And US Allies out of their Backyards (Resources). The Chinese and Russian Federation have been using the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran as their "Proxy Fighter", the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran has been using the Holy Warriors of Islam as their "Proxy Fighters" Worldwide.
President Obama's Foreign Policies were seen by the Ayatollahs of Iran as the US Negotiating from a position of US Defeat. The Ayatollahs of Iran immediately increased their Overt and Covert Activities Worldwide. This Resulted in the US And US Allies Losses of Strategic Resources Worldwide, US And US Allies Losses of Strategic Locations Worldwide, and US And US Allies Losses of Vital US Allies Worldwide.
Examples:
Iraq: The Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran placed pressure on the Islamic Shia Government of Iraq to Kick the US and US Allies out of Iraq, no more negotiations with President Obama nor SOS Clinton to stay at Iraq. The Allies of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, the Chinese and Russian Federation get the Iraqis Oil, that could have paid for the US and US Allies Liberation of Iraq with Decades to Centuries of Iraqis Oil.
This US And US Allies Loss of Iraqis Oil made the Libyan Oil of Strategic Importance to the US European Allies (President Obama already outsmarted as the Holy Warriors of Islam are already at Egypt attacking US Ally Libya). Egypt was Strategicto attacking US Ally Libya. Strategic Suez Canal (negotiated access by the Muslim Brotherhood with the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran before the "Egyptian Revolution"). Closer locations to support Hamas Warlords and Army of Islam Gaza. Closer locations to attack US Ally Israel. Mediterranean Ports.
The Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran no longer stuck between the US And US Allies Military Forces (Iraq and Afghanistan), so now Iran can concentrate resources on other problems (Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.). The Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Special Forces, Quds, training, arming, funding millions of Holy Warriors of Islam to Fight the US and Overthrow the Established Governments of US Allies at the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region (Northern Iraq) no longer have to worry about US and US Allies Military Forces interruptions or interdictions.
The Result: Win for the Chinese. Win for the Russian Federation. Win for the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran. Loss for the US Ally Kuwait. Loss for the US Ally Saudi Arabia. Loss for the US Ally Turkey. Loss for the US European Allies. Eventual Loss for and of US Ally Egypt, as the Fundamentalist Islamic Holy Warriors of Islam go to Egypt to help the Muslim Brotherhood Overthrow the US Ally Egypt as trained to do by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Special Forces, Quds, in Asymmetric Warfare (Insurgency), these Holy Warriors of Islam then start attacking US Ally Libya in across the border attacks to make it so that the Libyan Military cannot attack the Holy Warriors of Islam that attack US Ally Libya then flee back to Egypt. President Obama ignored the warning from his Executive Intelligence Agency, the CIA, about increased involvements of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran with US Ally Iraq, ignored US Ally Egypt about "Increased Al Quada Like Activities", ignored US Ally Libya about "Increased Al Quada Activities", ignored US Ally Pakistan about "increased pressure", ignored US Ally Yemen "increased Al Quada Activities", etc. then President Obama started to call these US Allies "Dictators" and removed any or all US Support and US Funding from these US Allies while these US Allies were actually fighting the Fundamentalist Islamic of Iran's "Proxy Fighters" of the Holy Warriors of Islam like the "Libyan Rebels" as supported by President Obama being Al Quada Saudi Arabia (AQ), Al Quada Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Yemen (AQY), Hezbollah, Al Quada Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), etc. that went to Libya to kill US Ally President Gaddaffi the Collaborator to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers.
US Ally Saudi Arabia, "President Obama gave Iraq to Iran as a gift on a Golden Platter".
Prior to the First Gulf War, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Kuwait, etc. had been "Oil Laundrying" Iraqis Oil as, buying Iraqis Oil then selling the Iraqis Oil as their own for huge profits to the US. After the loss of the Iraqis Oil to make up for the loss of Iraqis Oil, Mexico started more High Risk Oil Explorations (like the BP Oil Spill Disaster), Saudi Arabia starts Deep Sand Desert Oil Explorations, Kuwait running out of Oil diagonal ("Slant") drilled into the Iraqis Oil Fields (Act of War) causing the Iraqis To Invade Kuwait (then US Liberation of Kuwait), Canada starts their environmental disaster of strip mining for Oil Sand and Oil Shale with the expensive process of processing tons of materials to get barrels of Oil.
These US And US Allies Losses Worldwide start the US Oil Corporations to spend Billions USDs on Advertising, Lobbying (Bribes of US Politicians), etc. to push Explosive Toxic Methane aka Natural Gas; hiring many Legal Firms pertaining to Toxic Chemical Fracking (poisoning of drinking water sources, destablization of underground).
So Penelope2 without Oil Based Plastics how are you going to even create Electric Wire Insulation.
As far as the actual materials used to create Alternative Energy. Those materials Worldwide were lost by President Obama to the Chinese and Russian Federation.
example: The Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran placed pressure on the Government of Pakistan, no more US Military Logistics Support Bases nor MQ/RQ (Drone) Bases at Pakistan to support the United Nations Mission at Landlocked US Ally Afghanistan. Even during the British Empire Era (Colonies) the British knew that the Pakistanis Sea Ports, British Military Bases, Khyber Pass, etc. at Paksitan were Mandatory for any "British Adventures" at Landlocked Afghanistan. Without these US Military Logistics Support Bases at Pakistan the maximum number that can be supported for United Nations Mission Afghanistan is 30,000 (including International Aid Workers), the no longer supportable UN, US, NATO Military Forces must withdraw by 2014 to get massacred again just like after the US abandoned US Ally 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen to get massacred by the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban. This withdrawal from Afghanistan is used to pressure the Afghans to give the Mineral Wealth of Afghanistan to the Ally of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, China, China Metallurgical Group, and immediately China placed Restrictions on the shipments of materials to the US and US Allies; with the Result that anything requiring these materials must be Made In China, as the opportunity for China to "adopt" (steal) any US and US Ally Technology or Innovations and also as a Win Win increases their Chinese Economy and Standard of Living while also obtaining 21st Century Technology for their 21st Century Chinese Military being built up to protect their Gains from the US And US Allies Losses Worldwide.
So Penelope2, welcome to President Obama's United Somalia of America, as President Obama's "Leveling the Playing Field" as bringing the US down to the lowest common denomiator instead of more difficult raising everyone else up to the US Standard of Living. You need to start learning to carve your electric car out of wood.
Of the almost thousand of us that started with the US Military Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare) Training Teams attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG sent to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars rotated to Operation Cyclone, there are only a few dozen of us that survived, that were preventing the above from happening as the US And US Allies Losses due to President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Lewisville is a Dallas suburb and the DFW area (where I live) has had way too many accidents in the past year! McKinney had two explosions from gas leaks and just last week there was another gas leak just down the road from me because crew men erroneously cut a gas line. PLEASE train these workers!! I don't want my whole neighborhood going up in flames next week!
This comes down to a couple factors..1) human error.2)speed to get the work completed and 3) ignoring the markings place by locators.all of which can be avoided..these so called accidental explosions can and must be avoided, Understanding and Training is the key..also it would be nice if the contractors would have a working knowledge of the english language...
john- having a knowledge of the english language would be the most important. most of the workers were proabably from across the border illigally( hope that was politically correct)
Ban Gas
Warren, does that include the gas you are spouting? Doesn't Texas have a one call system. "Call before you dig"
It's called humor. Get to know it. Make it your friend.
riverman- the workers need to be able to read and understand the sign first.
"The duplex behind the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church of God is owned by the Christian Community Actions, an organization that assists people who are in need." So not only is it people who help people, God does not meddle with gas leaks either? Isn't He (oops, I mean SheHeIt) able to fix stuff with just a word?
"The house that exploded was not included in the evacuations."
Oops!
Had this happened in NYC, NJ or CA, they would already have legislation in the works to ban gas lines.
That is because Texas has too much Gun Advocate legislation we need to catch up.
Actually I think it is a Liberal consiracy. They disconnect all the gas valves in Texas.
Actually, Backtobasics, it's happened a few times here in Northern CA in the last couple of years and they're replacing aging gas lines, not outlawing them. Turns out PG&E didn't really keep good records of their pipelines. But thank you for your concern and smartass comment.
so the duplex that exploded did not need to be evacuated ..., that is really good news !!!
There have been several instances of backhoes hitting gas lines down the highway from this area in residential zones that very nearly turned out the same or could have been worse. I'm not sure if the lines aren't marked well or if the drivers are inept but it looks like we'll see more of these things in the future if city officials don't step in and train people.
At least it wasn't intentional, like the one here in Indiana.
that's why i don't have gas for anything. in my house i use electricity for everything. gas is only for my power tools and car. and that stays outside.
tony your thinking the wrong type of gas
I've always thought gas workers should be Federally licensed including mental evaluations.
And that gas appliances everywhere should be outlawed. Gas related deaths in the U.S. are soaring and more people die from them than all the left handed people in world war 1.
A 4" gas line can do more damage than a machine gun.
This particular gas leak was not caused by failing infrastructure. It was caused by construction workers who cut into a four inch gas line. One of the problems that has come to light in California after the tragic explosion that killed several and leveled an entire neighborhood, is that some of the utility mapping of gas lines is inaccurate. So workers may be attentive to the presumed location of a gas line and discover that the gas line is actually right where they are digging. Oops!
Many of the gas lines were laid down decades ago. They are deteriorating. Many should be replaced. This is the responsibility of the utility companies, not the taxpayers and not the ratepayers. The funds for the correction of failing lines should come directly from corporate profits. It is morally wrong to expect ratepayers to have to subsidize overdue repairs just to inflate profits for the corporation. If they can't afford the repairs, then turn the company over to the state and let them do it.
None of these gas companies care about these failing infrastructure (or us for that matter!), It has and always been only about profits for them and face it we all know this.
Will it ever change? Only if most of the people of this great country demand it otherwise it will as always go quietly away, never to be heard about again except of the people that were injured. The people who died can't speak anymore so they don't have to worry about them after they pay off the living relatives that take the money and run like most would. What else can they really do anyways?
This reminds me of our government, 3 parties and none get along with each other or at least that's what they would have us believe but really what can be done about it or will be done about it?
It will continue I'm afraid and until people really want to see whats going on and its cause and effect on them, then I want to see the fireworks but getting people involved is like pulling teeth from a fully awake grizzly bear.
For what its worth underemployed, I agree with you.
Either the writer of this article got the wrong information, or the firemen who evacuated the down wind area where out of touch with reality and danger, or lastly, WHO CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING THAT BLEW UP???
for all the people who are saying that natural gas should be banned, do you all you use electric stove,or heater? if you do then thats fine. but if you dont then go and switch to all electric. I work for a gas company and what happened was human error. its unfortunate what happened but you can have all the training in the world, we are humans and we will make mistakes. was there USA (underground service alert) marks? was is marked correctly? was there a spotter for the backhoe if thats what was being used? i have worked many damaged gaslines from small service lines to big main lines.
Who cares Who cares If they were using gas----good news--The China now owns 33 % of 800,000 acres--all rights to oil and natural gas which lies beneath Colorado and Wyoming--and all oil rights from Canada--God bless the birthing houses in California---a woman from China when she is 8-months pregnant--30-days later a new US Citizen--get all the benifits--do not worry about a little gas explosion
HUH?
And they didn't evacuate the man who lives in the building BECAUSE......?
In the early 1990's, if Reagan helped get gun control laws passed on a federal level, then it should be good for everybody now, right?
The Kennedy assanation lie is so big that a conspiracy seems unthinkable, and the majority of this country still believes it. Oswald supposedly fired all four shots, in 3.75 seconds. However Oswald's vintage rifle cannot fire 4 bullets in 3.75 seconds under any circumstance...hit or miss, it can't be done by human or mechanical efforts. This fact alone proves conspiracy.
In spite of our great military, including nuclear arsenal etc, our country was taken over in a Coup, and justice demands we acknowledge that this happened.