DEER PARK, Texas (AP) — A massive
pipeline explosion that sent a towering flame over neighborhoods near Houston
on Monday was triggered when a vehicle drove through a fence and hit an
above-ground valve, officials reported.
Local authorities, including
police and FBI agents, have found no signs of "terroristic activity"
and believe the incident to be isolated. The investigation is ongoing, with
efforts focused on identifying the driver involved. The explosion led to
evacuations and shelter orders in the affected area, including at local
schools.
Pipeline operators shut off the
flow of natural gas liquids, but the remaining fuel in the extensive pipeline
meant that firefighters could only manage the blaze by hosing down nearby homes
while the fire burned itself out. Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. indicated
that the fire could continue into Tuesday.
“The fire is extremely intense,
causing nearby structures to catch fire despite our efforts to control it with
water,” Mouton said during an afternoon news conference.
Firefighters were dispatched at
9:55 a.m. following an explosion at a valve station in Deer Park, near La
Porte, which shook nearby homes and businesses, including a Walmart. According
to Deer Park officials, an SUV crashed into the valve after driving through a
fence on the edge of the Walmart parking lot.
Lee Woodward, a spokesperson for
La Porte, reported that nearly 1,000 homes were within the evacuation zone.
During a news conference,
officials initially stated that only one person, a firefighter, had suffered a
minor injury. However, later Deer Park spokesperson Kaitlyn Bluejacket updated
the information, revealing that four people had been injured, though she did
not provide details on the severity of their injuries.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo
stated that the fire will continue until 20 miles (32 kilometers) of pipeline
between the two closed valves has burned off.
Anna Lewis, who was entering the
nearby Walmart at the time of the explosion, described the sound as “like a
bomb going off.” She recounted that everyone inside the store was quickly moved
to the back and then transported across the street to a grocery store before
being bussed to a community center.
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