4 Injured As Blasts Rock N.M. Refinery
Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 7:28 pm
There has been too many incidents lately like this.
GALLUP, N.M. (AP)--Two explosions followed by fire rocked a gasoline refinery Thursday, seriously injuring four people, officials said.
Smoke billowed from the east side of the Giant Industries refinery about 15 miles east of Gallup in western New Mexico as rescue crews converged on the scene. State police Lt. Jimmy Glascock said a piece of equipment used to make high-octane fuel exploded, and that blast caused the second one.
The fire was quickly contained, but white smoke continued to escape the refinery's lattice of pipes and equipment, now blackened from the heat. Firefighters sprayed water to cool it down as small flames flickered amid the wreckage. The injured were taken to Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital in Gallup, and three of the four were later being moved to the University of New Mexico Hospital's burn unit in Albuquerque. Their names were not immediately available.
Sheriff's Lt. John Yearly said the refinery employs ``a couple hundred'' people, who were evacuated. A travel center about a quarter mile south of the refinery was also evacuated, he said. Nearby Interstate 40 remained open, but authorities were discouraging travel in the area. Giant Industries spokesman Mark Cox said in a statement that the company did not know the cause of the explosions or the extent of the damage. It was sending officials to the scene.
A nearby propane pipeline was vented after the explosions and the gas burned off, Glascock said.
AP-NY-04-08-04 1525EDT
Source
GALLUP, N.M. (AP)--Two explosions followed by fire rocked a gasoline refinery Thursday, seriously injuring four people, officials said.
Smoke billowed from the east side of the Giant Industries refinery about 15 miles east of Gallup in western New Mexico as rescue crews converged on the scene. State police Lt. Jimmy Glascock said a piece of equipment used to make high-octane fuel exploded, and that blast caused the second one.
The fire was quickly contained, but white smoke continued to escape the refinery's lattice of pipes and equipment, now blackened from the heat. Firefighters sprayed water to cool it down as small flames flickered amid the wreckage. The injured were taken to Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital in Gallup, and three of the four were later being moved to the University of New Mexico Hospital's burn unit in Albuquerque. Their names were not immediately available.
Sheriff's Lt. John Yearly said the refinery employs ``a couple hundred'' people, who were evacuated. A travel center about a quarter mile south of the refinery was also evacuated, he said. Nearby Interstate 40 remained open, but authorities were discouraging travel in the area. Giant Industries spokesman Mark Cox said in a statement that the company did not know the cause of the explosions or the extent of the damage. It was sending officials to the scene.
A nearby propane pipeline was vented after the explosions and the gas burned off, Glascock said.
AP-NY-04-08-04 1525EDT
Source
Not good with summer driving season coming up in 1 1/2 months...