VIDEO: Explosion at ExxonMobil plant in Texas injures 4 - WKMG At this time, were still collecting all that information, he said, adding: We will conduct a full and thorough investigation., Several residents in the area described feeling their homes shake after what they said appeared to be an "explosion. Our first priority is people in the community and in our facilities, the company said. Harley said the experience was reminiscent of a similar incident in July 2019, when an explosion and fire broke out at the same facility. U.S. Polyco has countered that R-Tex Services, Chambers employer, was at fault. 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. Austin rocked by 3rd explosion in 11 days - ABC News 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. 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. An earlier version of this article incorrectly described how gasoline vapors are controlled in storage tanks. 6 fuel oil, have become more depleted than in the past, making them hard to work with. White said the driver of an 18-wheel flatbed truck lost control of his vehicle, was unable to stop, swerved around a parked vehicle and into a rail crossing, where his truck struck a passing BNSF train. The dramatic scenes of the nighttime fire have reverberated across Iranian social media. Asphalt naturally contains both sulfur and hydrogen, which, when they react, form hydrogen sulfide. However, the institutes publication acknowledges that the additives can include lighter hydrocarbons. BEIRUT (AP) A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating blast in 2020, Lebanon's Beirut Bar Association said Thursday. News Exxon Texas Explosion. "However, we havent found anything yet. WebShortly before 9 a.m. this morning, loud noises disrupted work in a nitric acid unit at the Invista Chemical Plant in Victoria, Texas. With more than 2 billion gallons of asphalt or residual fuel, much of it No. ABC-7 reported the loud boom heard and felt in east El Paso as well as the Lower Valley was in fact an explosion. 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. A helicopter ambulance was waiting to take him to a hospital in Dallas, but with his clothes covered in asphalt, they decided against it out of fear that the fumes from Chambers clothes and body would overtake the pilot, Slovak said. 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. Two months before Tank #17 exploded, on Feb. 2, 2018, there had been an explosion in the other tank, Tank #18. Hours after explosions rocked a Texas chemical CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) Authorities in Moldova said Sunday that specialist teams have carried out controlled detonations of explosives that were discovered in parts of rocket debris that border officials found in a northern village near the countrys border with Ukraine. The beaches are not closed, but Quintana Island was reportedly closed to all incoming traffic during the afternoon. Texas Were asking all of you to keep the victims in your prayers.. A fire analyst named Ricky Jones, who reviewed the incident, wrote that Chambers description of what happenedthat he had lit his torch, seen a small flame and then the top of Tank #17 blew offwas consistent with the ignition of fugitive vapors from the product within Tank #17.. Webtoday: 2.5 in Mentone , Texas , United States. 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. Though that is closer to the flash point, it still allows for a buffer. Across the street, at the U.S. Polyco plant, Patel saw smoke. 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. Fort Bend County Judge KP George said that residents surrounding the area were evacuated as a precaution. Several residents on El Paso's eastside heard a loud explosion on the morning of December 30, 2021. Im in east El Paso.". In this case it is inside Tank #17, Jones wrote, according to court documents. Your Nuclear Attack Map for 2023 - mirasafety.com FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas -- Emergency crews brought the flames from a pipeline explosion in Texas under control about an hour after the blaze occurred. He said that so far, there appeared to be no adverse impact due to the blaze. 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. MEXICO CITY (AP) A fireworks explosion at a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico injured 17 people, authorities said Sunday. It also apologized for any disruption or inconvenience that this incident may have caused the community. ABC-7 reported that police and fire officials could not explain the noise. Flames shot out of the top of the damaged tank, and firefighters let the blaze burn out. Flames were seen at the Baytown, Texas refinery after a possible explosion. he/him. The Associated Press contributed to this report. in Texas 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. Four injured in refinery fire at Baytown, Texas. GAITHERSBURG, Md. TOWN OF MAPLE GROVE, Wis. (AP) Sheriff's investigators in Wisconsin are willing to forgo any possible underage drinking violations in order to get more information about a bonfire explosion that injured more than a dozen people, including some critically, officials said Tuesday. Overturned gas tanker explodes, killing 1 person. Whereas some highly volatile materials can have low flashpoints, like gasoline at -40F or ethyl alcohol at 55F, asphalts can be listed as high as 450 or 500F. 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. 6 fuel oil despite temperatures never reaching the flash point. The US Geological Survey also told ABC-7 that there was no earthquake in the area. 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. ". Most of the explosions of heated storage tanks have taken place at asphalt plants, but in cities and towns across the country the tanks are often knit into neighborhoods, near schools, daycares and retirement homes. She graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a bachelors of science in electrical engineering. "It's like the whole house was shaken," one woman told CBS News. Those additives have increased the vapor pressure inside the tanks making them more vulnerable to explosion, Rosselot and others said. this year: 5.4 in Mentone , Texas Who knows how many tanks around the country are an explosion hazard but have yet to get a spark?. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. We were able to look in a small cut that was in the side of the tank and actually see that he was there, Slovak said. "I didnt know what it was. this week: 4.1 in Mentone , Texas , United States. 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. They were hospitalized but their conditions were not immediately known. Witnesses told local news outlets that they heard a series of booms, which sounded like lightning. The presence of these higher volatility molecules means that the concentrations of vapors in the tanks are higher than they used to be, said Rosselot. According to Amy Hodges, the plants spokeswoman, no fire broke out and no one was seriously hurt. At a news conference today, Manley said the latest bombing occurred when the two victims either stepped on or kicked a tripwire as they were walking on a sidewalk in the Travis Country neighborhood of Austin. 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. BERLIN (AP) Nine men suspected of involvement in blowing up dozens of cash machines in Germany and stealing some 5.2 million euros (nearly $5.7 million) have been arrested in the Netherlands and Belgium, German authorities said Thursday. The plant in Port Neches in southeast Texas, about 80 miles east of Houston, makes chemical and petroleum-based products. LONDON (AP) The death toll in an explosion and fire at an apartment building on the English Channel Island of Jersey has risen from five to seven, police said Tuesday. But storage tanks for asphalt and No. July 21, 2021, 8:49 PM PDT. The impact sent debris flying through the air as frightened homeowners scrambled for cover. The county has previously sued ExxonMobil, accusing the company of violating the federal Clean Air Act. Five days after a home exploded in Westworth Village, Atmos Energy said there was "no evidence" to suggest its system was involved. There was a pipeline explosion today in Fort Bend County, Texas, and flame could be seen from 30 miles away. ON December 30, 2021, it was reported that there was a mass explosion in El Paso, Texas. Plant emergency: Incident at Freeport LNG oil and gas company Hot workthe use of tools for cutting, grinding and welding that can create sparksis common at industrial plants, and asphalt plants are no exception. The Asphalt Institute did not respond to questions submitted to them by Inside Climate News. Texas Port Neches, Texas Two explosions at a chemical plant in Texas put 60,000 people under evacuation orders Wednesday. 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. 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. Pulitzer Prize-winning, nonpartisan reporting on the biggest crisis facing our planet. Gonzalez said initial reports suggested that "some type of explosion" had occurred inside the plant. At least one house was damaged in the blast, and residents were evacuated from the area, according to the outlet. 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. 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. Natural gas explosion in Texas injures 10 people - New Explosion - ABC13 Houston Shankman has a Masters in Journalism from UC Berkeleys Graduate School of Journalism. IE 11 is not supported. 6 fuel oil. 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.. Officials added that it's not yet clear when the evacuation order will be lifted. According to the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management, the incident happened in an isolated area in a field. 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. Even in amounts far less than companies routinely use, the additives can have a dramatic effect on how explosive a product is, research shows. ET). A figure from the Chemical Safety Board report on the West explosion shows an unidentified ammonium nitrate storage facility. 6 fuel oil. Officials confirm latest Austin bombing was triggered by tripwire Rescuers comb wreckage of Greece's deadliest train crash Instead, they are mixed with heavy fuels like asphalt or No. 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. PLANO, Texas The explosion that destroyed a house in suburban Dallas and heavily damaged the two next Firefighters who arrived at the scene managed to contain the flames, Fox affiliate KRIV reported. By The Associated Press. Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. Dont miss a beat. Chambers climbed to the catwalk and got ready to separate it from the tops of the tanks. A Texas pipeline explosion sparked a fire that could be seen from 30 miles away. "They are indicating that it could take up to two or three days to actually extinguish the entire fire.". Every day or once a week, our original stories and digest of the web's top headlines deliver the full story, for free. The first blast, which blew out the windows and doors of nearby homes, injured three workers. In that incident, more than 60 people were sent for medical evaluation following the blast. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. It is a colorless gas with a gasoline-like odor, used to produce synthetic rubber products like tires, plastics and other chemicals. this month: 4.7 in Rotan , Texas , United States. A construction crew was working with explosives to extract material when the explosion occurred. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But over the last 30 years, companies have increasingly used additives to enhance the products, changing their makeup. The first 11 cars of the train were filled with gasoline, coal and petroleum products, causing the initial explosion and fueling a fire that was still burning Tuesday evening, White said. Was there an explosion in El Paso, Texas? | The US Sun "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. Bomb techs with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to reports of an explosion Sunday morning in Palmdale, officials said. We are saddened by todays tragedy of a house explosion in our City. Officials say firefighters were called to Trinity Hospital shortly In some cases workers were injured or killed, and some explosions ignited fires in other, nearby tanks, causing whole neighborhoods to be evacuated. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. On the way to the scene, ABC Houston affiliate KTRK's helicopter noticed the flames could be seen from 30 miles away. MEXICO CITY (AP) Authorities in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz said 19 people were injured where a pipeline carrying ethane gas exploded. Yes. BAGHDAD (AP) A heating gas tank exploded in a residential complex in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing six people, Iraqi Kurdish officials said. It was later revealed that there was in fact a construction site explosion in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Pipeline explosion Texas today: Flames from blast could be seen 30 While the information contained in these trade publications rarely makes its way to the general public, the threat to homeowners and others in residential neighborhoods is real, given the dispersed location of such tanks throughout the country. ISLAMABAD (AP) A hotel catering to foreign visitors in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul was attacked Monday and three of the assailants were killed, a Taliban official said. 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. TPC officials know that at least three tanks have been damaged, but firefighters have not been able to fully assess the harm, Monk said. 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. Texas house explosion injures 6 people, fire resuce officials say In the March fire, prosecutors filed five water pollution charges against the company that owns the petrochemical storage facility after chemicals flowed into a nearby waterway. This is the second in a series of articles. It included a section on the role that additives can play in contributing to these kinds of explosions. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said deputies were responding to the incident and that "some injuries" had been reported. The more asphalt is heated, the more hydrogen sulfide is created, and over time, high concentrations can build up. A car further down the train filled with phosphoric acid solution was unhooked and moved to safety before it could be ignited by the burning fuel cars, and a specialized fire crew sent from BNSF arrived with heavy equipment to extinguish the blaze. As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. WATCH LIVE All the victims are believed to be from the energy company. The accident occurred Saturday in the township of Huejutla in Mexicos Gulf coast region known as the Huasteca. After the explosion in Ennis, Tank #17 was left damaged beyond repair and in need of removal. We've received your submission. On June 30, 2020, a tank holding asphalt mix at the Blueknight Energy Partners terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey exploded. We deliver climate news to your inbox like nobody else. Martinez said she stayed up for hours, watching the scene unfold. NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) President Joe Biden said Wednesday it was unlikely that a missile that killed two in NATO-ally Poland was fired from Russia, but he pledged support for Poland's investigation into what it had called a Russian-made missile. An asphalt tank at a plant owned by Rason Asphalt exploded in the early afternoon, causing a loud blast that rattled nearby homes. At a press conference Wednesday night, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said that there were also a number of smaller explosions throughout the day. ", Download theNBC News appfor breaking news and politics. (AP) An August house explosion that killed three people in a southern Indiana neighborhood has been ruled accidental after investigators traced the blast to a leaking natural gas line in the home's basement, officials said Wednesday. It's about 70 miles south of Houston. As least 10 people were injured in a fire caused by a natural gas explosion in Texas Friday night, officials said. Every day or once a week, our original stories and digest of the webs top headlines deliver the full story, for free. Engineering experts say that such seemingly spontaneous explosions can be caused by the formation of whats known as pyrophoric material. The word pyrophoric comes from the Greek fire-bearing and means capable of igniting spontaneously upon exposure to oxygen. Police brought in an explosives detecting dog, though the dog did not discover any explosives or hazardous materials, and police determined that the site was not a crime scene. The employee suffered minor burns, and the tank lid was blown into the air and landed 150 yard away. The Surfside Beach Police Department said the facility had experienced "some sort of explosion," but no evacuation orders had been issued. SAN ANTONIO (AP) Authorities on Sunday continued investigating the cause of an explosion that killed three people at a San Antonio construction company. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas An explosion at an ExxonMobil plant in Texas injured four people early Thursday, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. ", I was just laying in bed and then all of a sudden I felt. Download the NBC News app for breaking news, "They have got a lot of people working on it," White said Tuesday evening. Firefighters responded to Neptune Welding on Virginia Beach Boulevard just after 11 a.m., news outlets reported. 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 explosion happened in Wallis, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston. Whats more: Chambers was still alive. 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. Harvey Patel was eating lunch inside the Budget Inn Ennis on April 23, 2018 when he felt a shockwave rattle the building. It wasnt long before sirens began wailing and fire engines arrived on scene. TOWN OF MAPLE GROVE, Wis. (AP) Authorities investigating a bonfire explosion over the weekend in eastern Wisconsin said Monday that as many as 40 people might have been injured in the blaze, including some who were seriously hurt. Sonic Booms When my husband pulled into our garage, the roof in our garage had caved in.. WebThe map below, compiled from data provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is the most accurate nuclear attack map and fallout demonstration available for 2023: (Image courtesy of FEMA and Halcyon Maps) The fallout would rapidly spread, turning targeted cities into whole affected regions. News Houston Texas Explosion. Nederland Volunteer Fire Department - NVFD, Inc. Two foreign residents were injured when they jumped out of windows to escape, said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government's spokesman. I didnt want there to be an evacuation and I wouldnt know because I was sleeping.. By continuing to use this site, you accept this policy. VIDEO: Explosion at ExxonMobil plant in Texas injures It is now common for additives to comprise up to 20 percent of stored asphalt or No. QUINTANA, Texas (KTRK) -- No injuries were reported Wednesday after what police initially described as an explosion at a liquefied natural gas terminal near Freeport. 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. Texas SWAT commander killed, 4 officers injured in standoff with gunman; suspect captured, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. All Rights Reserved. A key indicator of how safe a product might be is its flash pointthe temperature at which it becomes flammable. a 2018 explosion at an oil refinery in Superior.