Gas pipeline explodes in southwestern Iran, no casualty

A gas pipeline in Iran’s southwestern province of Khouzestan exploded Friday without causing any casualty, the official IRNA news agency reported.

A fire broke out around the city of Dogonbadan in the Keshab region after the pipeline, which carried gas from Pazran to the oil fields in Gatchsaran, exploded in the evening, said the report.

No casualty was reported due to the blast, while the emergency workers are trying to contain the fire, it said.

The cause of the explosion was still unknown, it said.

Another two blasts occurred in Iran Friday morning, hitting an oil field and a refinery respectively.

One worker was killed and three others were injured when a blast occurred at the Bibi Hakimeh oil field in the province of Khouzestan and caused a fire. The reason for the blast was also unclear, according to local Mehr news agency.

The state IRIB TV said later Friday that the fire at Bibi Hakimieh oil field was contained and two of the three wounded staff members were sent to a hospital in the southern Ghenaveh port for further treatments.

The other explosion and subsequent fire occurred at the Shahzand oil refinery in central Iran’s Markazi province.

The reason for the incident is not yet known, and there is no report yet about the possible casualty or degree of damage to the refinery, Mehr reported.

Since May, there have been several explosions and fire accidents in Iran’s refineries, oil fields and gas and oil pipelines.

http://www.siamdailynews.com/world-news/middle-east-news/2011/10/29...

Gas blamed for explosion at Adelaide theatre

Updated October 31, 2011 12:15:46

Fire crews have ventilated gas from the Capri Theatre at Goodwood in Adelaide after an explosion.

The blast happened under the floorboards of the theatre just south of the city.

It dislodged a window of the building facing Goodwood Road.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus went into the building.

The Metropolitan Fire Service said there was a cleaner in the theatre at the time of the explosion, but no injuries were reported.

It says there may have been a build-up of methane or refrigeration gas in the premises.

Tanya works near the theatre and says she was startled by the sound of the blast.

"About a quarter to 10 there was just this really loud muffled bang at the Capri and the side door that faces Gilbert Street just blew open," she said.

"All this dust came out and then a guy in a pair of white overalls was using a fire extinguisher for quite some time.

"One of the windows facing Goodwood Road's got a major crack in it."

The Capri, built in the 1940s, is heritage listed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-31/capri-theatre-explosion/36100...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/explosion-in-south...

Explosion in southwest China kills at least 7 people, injures about 200

 

Death toll climbs to 7 in SW China blast, at least 200 injured

A policeman investigates the crater of an explosion in Fuquan, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Nov. 1, 2011. Two truck carrying dynamite exploded in Machangping township of Fuquan City. Seven people were confirmed dead and 260 others were injured in the explosion. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

GUIYANG, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Seven people have been confirmed dead and about 200 others injured in an explosion that occurred near a gas station in southwest China's Guizhou Province Tuesday, local authorities said.

The accident happened at about 11:30 a.m., when two cargo trucks loaded with about 70 metric tons of explosives exploded in front of a motor vehicle testing station in the city of Fuquan, about 100 km from Guizhou's capital of Guiyang, according to the local rescue headquarters.

Windows shattered in nearby houses, and cars parked near the site were severely damaged. A nearby grain warehouse was seriously damaged as well.

A witness told Xinhua that the testing station was destroyed and a neighboring five-story residential building was severely damaged.

Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene swiftly after the blast occurred.

About 200 people have been rushed to a local hospital, 20 of whom are in critical condition, said a spokesman with the local rescue headquarters.

An investigation into the cause of the explosion is under way.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-11/01/c_131224288.htm

http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2011/11/gas_explosion_at_34th_lu...

http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/16272120/article-House-explosion-rocks-Rossville-neighborhood?instance=home_news_lead

 

http://times-news.com/latest_news/x459213779/Artemas-gas-explosion-forces-temporary-evacuation

November 3, 2011

No injuries in Artemas gas explosion but residents evacuated

ARTEMAS, Pa. — A building was destroyed and three vehicles were damaged early Thursday when an explosion of unknown origin occurred at a Columbia Gas Transmission pumping station. No one was injured butabout 100 residents were evacuated as a result of the 12:30 a.m. incident on Artemas Road.

The natural gas pipeline of the pumping station in Mann Township was shut down by Columbia Gas Transmission employees who live in the area.

Bedford County Emergency Management Director Dave Cubbison said it took four hours to control the fire. Flames reportedly shot hundreds of feet into the air when the explosion occurred.

The Allegany County 911 center was inundated with calls about the explosion. “We probably received about a hundred calls,” said acting 911 director Roger Bennett.

Sixteen volunteer fire units remained at the scene at 10:30 a.m.

Between 40 and 50 homes were evacuated because of the fire. The residents were returned to their homes by late Thursday morning.

Orleans Volunteer Fire Chief John Clingerman was the officer in charge at the scene. Numerous volunteer fire companies responded following alert by emergency centers in Allegany and Bedford counties.

The incident is reportedly being investigated by the Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. and the Federal Highway Administration, which has oversight of the pipelines.

“There was some sort of failure at the plant,” said Cubbison.

In early 2010, Columbia Gas Transmission met with about 70 residents who were concerned with a project that conducted seismic activities to create a three-dimensional image of the Artemas storage field. Officials then said that the goal was to improve the storage field and find ways to get the natural gas out of the ground quicker.

They also discussed the possibility of constructing additional wells at that time.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1104/1224307038433...

Man suffers burn injuries in Waterford gas blasts

 

THE SCENE of two gas explosions in Waterford which left one man with burn injuries remained cordoned off last night as emergency services worked to ensure that the area is safe.

The local man, in his 60s, was injured when a gas cylinder containing acetylene – which reaches extremely high temperatures when ignited with oxygen – exploded at a building used by Waterford Institute of Technology in an IDA industrial estate in Waterford city.

Investigations are under way into the cause of the incident which occurred at about 10am yesterday. After the initial explosion, a second occurred.

The Garda say a fire broke out as a result of the explosions but was brought under control “fairly quickly”.

Four nearby buildings had to be evacuated and traffic restrictions put in place while the fire service, the ESB, the Garda, An Bord Gáis and BOC industrial gases were called to inspect the scene and secure the area.

It is understood that the injured man, a staff member with Waterford Institute of Technology, suffered burns in the explosion.

He was taken to Waterford Regional Hospital and his condition was described as “comfortable”.

Waterford Institute of Technology estates manager Elaine Greenan said the college’s priority was to ensure the area was made safe as soon as possible.

She said the institute would assist the Health and Safety Authority in any way it could.

“We will also carry out our own internal investigation. The safety of staff and students is paramount and we will be doing everything possible to ensure that this type of incident cannot occur again.”

Gardaí remained on the scene in the evening. “We’re treating it as an industrial accident,” Supt Chris Delaney of Waterford Garda station said.

“The area is cordoned off and there will be a cordon in place for a period of 24 hours to make sure everything is safe.”

An area of about 200m in each direction from the site of the explosion was sealed off and was expected to remain off limits to the public until at least 10am today.

•  

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/11375471/one-dead-in-...

A young Irish backpacker has perished in a fire after a gas bottle explosion near New Norcia this morning.

It is understood the farmhand, aged in his 20s, was in the common room of the Mackie Hay Plant accommodation unit when the fire broke out about 4.30am.

Another 20 workers were asleep in the hostel when the blaze started. No-one else was injured.

A police spokesman said the incident happened on Glentromie-Yerecoin Road, 1km east of the Great Northern Highway, about 140km north of Perth.

The fire caused the roof collapsed, killing the man.

Outside the Gilmac Mackie hay export plant this morning, Sgt Ben Tomasini said the young men had worked at the farm for a month.

"He was certainly well liked by his work colleagues and his employer," Sgt Tomasini said. "The owners are very distressed and upset and their hearts have gone out to the man's family."

He said an investigation was underway to see what part the gas bottles played in the man's death.

A St John Ambulance spokesman confirmed the man died at the scene.

A woman, who worked nearby but did not want to be named, said the victim was a "really lovely boy and very well thought of".

Volunteer fire and rescue officers from Wongan Hills attended.

Arson squad officers are investigating.

Mission Ridge House Explosion: "99.9% Sure It's Gasoline"

Investigator Jerry Parrish of the State Fire Marshal's Arson Unit said he is "99 and nine tenths sure it is gasoline."

Parrish and other specialists are awaiting lab test results to make concrete confirmation on the Mission Ridge Road house explosion. Parrish said said the odor was very similar to gas and he "would be shocked" if it is not. However, he added, there is always "that margin of error."

Walker County Fire hasn't yet released its conclusion. Assistant Chief Waymond Westbrook said his department is awaiting results from a private lab that the insurance company is using.

However, Westbrook told NewsChannel 9 yesterday "they are 99 percent positive of what triggered this explosion" He added it's "probably criminal."

The explosion last Wednesday night shredded the house at 1441 Mission Ridge Road and rocked houses for several hundred feet.

Neighbors told authorities the house had been unoccupied for about three weeks. Renter Ricky Bethune and his son had been out of town in Michigan for a family matter.

After ruling out methane, natural gas and LP gas, investigators got the break they needed late yesterday afternoon. Assistant Chief Westbrook said crews took four samples to be analyzed.

The Georgia Fire Marshal's Office also took samples but doesn't expect results back for six to seven weeks because of backlog at the state crime lab in Decatur.

Last Friday, the Fire Marshal's accelerant sniffing dog, Smoky, didn't detect anything. But Parrish pointed out the samples were buried under almost three feet of debris. Smoky didn't venture into that area for safety reasons; nails and shredded lumber littered the back corner.

Investigators are also running down another lead: word of a silver or gray car parking in the driveway multiple times in the time that the house was unoccupied.

Parrish said once the lab results come back, his department plans to put up an arson/reward sign up on the property.

A news conference is planned for tomorrow with more details.

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/parrish-1006352-house-lab.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2059033/Terrifying-images-g...

'I could feel the heat burning the side of my face': Terror on New Jersey Turnpike as gas tanker blast creates giant fireball

By Lydia Warren

Last updated at 8:05 PM on 8th November 2011

These terrifying images show the scenes after a tanker carrying 8,500 gallons of gas exploded on the New Jersey Turnpike.

A fireball engulfed the vehicle after it collided with a minivan that was reversing from a tollbooth.

Video footage shows black smoke billowing from the site while scores of emergency vehicles struggle to control the flames.

See below for videos

At least nine people were taken to hospital following the crash on Monday evening.

Three female passengers in the minivan were critically injured: 8-year-old Isata Bah, 14-year-old Kadijatu Bah and 27-year-old Madagbe Sananna, all from Harlem, New York.

 

The minivan driver, 45-year-old Yayah Bah, escaped with a minor head injury. Most of his passengers share his last name, police said.

The driver of the truck, 50-year-old Howard Kiefer of Monticello, New York, escaped the cab before the gasoline engulfed the vehicle and sustained a minor leg injury.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/asia/china-miners-death/

China mine explosion kills 19, dozens trapped

(CNN) -- A gas leak triggered an underground explosion that killed 19 miners Thursday in southwest China, state media reported, the latest fatalities in the nation's dangerous coal industry.

Twenty-four people are trapped underground after the coal mine accident in Qujing city, according to Xinhua news agency.

Rescue crews, including 30 firefighters and 300 medical workers, are working to reach the trapped miners, Xinhua said.

It was not immediately clear how many miners were working underground when the explosion occurred.

China, a large producer and consumer of coal, has one of the world's deadliest records for miners.

Last week, a mine explosion killed eight workers in the central Chinese city of Sanmenxia.

News of the injury and deaths of miners appear regularly in state media, with safety conditions, a lack of training and the flouting of laws contributing to the high number of deaths.

One of China's most dangerous year on record was 2002, with 6,995 deaths.

 

China: Yunnan mine hit by 'deadly gas outburst'

Nineteen miners have been killed and more are trapped underground after an accident at a colliery in south China.

The incident happened early on Thursday at the Sizhuang mine in Yunnan province's Qujing city.

The mine was hit by a "coal and gas outburst" - the ejection of rock and gas from a coal face, an official said.

Hundreds of firemen, rescue teams and medical staff were at the site, a local government statement said.

The disaster comes days after another mine in Henan province experienced a rock burst, which trapped pit workers. Dozens were rescued but 10 were killed.

The official Xinhua news agency quoted officials as saying the latest accident happened at 06:25 (22:25 GMT, Wednesday).

At least 24 men are thought to be trapped but the exact number underground at the time of the incident remains unclear, the agency said.

An official told local media that rescue personnel were in the mine but that high levels of gas were hampering efforts.

China's mining industry has a terrible safety record, but officials say in recent years the number of deaths and injuries has fallen dramatically.

The central government has put in place policies aimed at improving safety, but these measures are often ignored at a local level.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-15669778

This is now the 3rd Chinese mine explosion in less than a month.

http://www.thejournal.ie/at-least-21-killed-in-gas-explosion-at-chi...

At least 21 killed in gas explosion at Chinese mine

AT LEAST 21 WORKERS have been killed after a gas leak at a mine in China caused a massive underground explosion.

The accident occurred yesterday morning in the south-western province of Yunnan, at around 6:30am yesterday morning.

The state’s official news agency Xinhua said rescuers were struggling to reach the other workers who had been trapped underground by the explosion.

There are thought to be 22 miners who remain trapped, though there has been no news as to how many – if any – remain alive.

It also said that the mine, which was privately owned, had been operating illegally – having lost its licence last year.

BBC News said the government had been trying to shut the mine down, as with other illegal mines, in a bid to try and restore the poor reputation of the country’s mining industry.

Only last week eight people died at an explosion in the Henan province.

http://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/fatal-explosion-ris...

Ships are being inspected for gas service or repair that was done in Vietnam back in Feb.  There is an explosion possibility and they're now taking precautionary measures.  Reading PS Ning and ZetaTalk, hmmm ???

VIETNAM – BRAZIL - WORLDWIDE – The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) which represents over 4 million union members associated with the transport industry has expressed fears over the safety of some reefer shipping containers following fatal accidents. In April of this year there were two incidents at a Cat Lai repair yard in the Port of Ho Chi Minh City whilst repairs were under way on Maersk Line reefer boxes followed by another death in Itajai ,Brazil last month.

Maersk tell us that investigations so far lead them to conclude that the three explosions have been caused by a contaminated refrigerant being injected into the cooling system. Incorrect repair processes and procedures would not be able to cause these explosions. Until the exact reason for the incidents is known and a safe repair method has been developed, Maersk Line will continue to ground all reefers that have had a gas repair in Vietnam since the 1st February. This is being done as a precautionary measure the total number of units being involved is 844 whilst the Danish group operate 230,000 reefers in total. Hutchison Ports has also advised its customers to check any containers serviced or repaired in Vietnam recently and there are reports of another similar accident in China earlier this year.

Maersk are in possession of samples from the unit that exploded in Itajai as well as gas samples from containers they have grounded and that have had gas repairs done in Vietnam. Unions are calling for full investigation into the causes and scope of the problem and ITF representative Frank Leys said the unions were pleased to see that big shipping lines like Maersk had reacted so quickly to deal with the situation and urged the US union organisations to ensure companies operating from there acted equally promptly to alleviate any risk. Mr Leys, the ITF dockers’ section secretary continued:

“Where there are possibly contaminated containers still at large, we are calling on port authorities and shipping companies to issue clear guidance on how they should be handled. The health and safety of workers is paramount and in no instance should commercial or productivity issues be allowed to supersede the welfare of workers."

Seafarers’ section secretary Jon Whitlow added:

“We are extremely concerned for the welfare of those workers on ships who may be unaware that a defective container is being carried on board. Although we acknowledge that the maritime community is moving fast to provide the necessary information and advice on how to handle the contaminated containers in ports, we hope the same approach and priority is given to adequately inform the on board safety officers in order to protect the integrity of seafarers and ships.

“Whilst of course the explosion of a container ashore is a tragic event, we think that a similar explosion on board a vessel could have potentially catastrophic effects on workers, ships and the environment.”

Authorities in Vietnam tell us within weeks Tan Cang will begin verifying the gas quality with a specialist machine before recharging reefer containers. Last week neighbouring Cat Lai port held a meeting to review the situation and the implications for the trade in container repairs and inspections which local sources estimate will cost them up to $20 per b

Lawrence, KS - infoZine - The Survey is studying the Arbuckle Group of rocks to determine whether it can permanently hold CO2 injected during oil operations or for permanent storage. The project is a subsurface characterization investigation and will not include sequestration of CO2.

Now, along with industry partners Vess Oil Corporation and Murfin Drilling Company of Wichita, the Survey is drilling a horizontal well, spudded Nov. 1, in the Bemis-Shutts field to test how accurately the tool — a three-dimensional, seismic-derived volumetric curvature — can provide images of subsurface linear features, such as faults.

Survey geologists Jason Rush and Lynn Watney are leading the investigation, which is funded by a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant.

In the Bemis-Shutts field, where the Arbuckle is not as deep as it is in southern Kansas, CO2 will likely only be used in oil recovery operations, Rush said.

More than 3,500 feet deep and up to 1,000 feet thick, the Arbuckle is isolated by numerous impermeable layers, or cap rocks, from the much shallower freshwater surface aquifers.

The horizontal well starts out vertical, gradually turns in a horizontal direction and will head through about 2,000 feet of the upper Arbuckle. The borehole will be drilled through an ancient sinkhole below the oil zone.

“The horizontal part of the well is purposely being drilled to intersect faults, fractures and paleokarst, suggested by volumetric curvature, so that we can evaluate their dimensions, orientation and permeability,” said Rush.

Paleokarst — a landscape of ancient caverns and sinkholes formed in limestone and other soluble rocks now buried beneath thousands of feet sediment — sits atop the Arbuckle.

“One question we hope to address is whether ancient karst features coincide with long-lived faults and whether those faults may act as leakage pathways,” Rush said.

CO2 sequestration — the containment of CO2 from industrial processes and other sources — is being explored worldwide in an effort to reduce the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. CO2 is already used in tertiary oil operations to squeeze out trapped oil that is hard to recover using traditional methods.

Once the well is completed, measurements and images collected from the well will be compared to maps generated by the volumetric curvature tool to confirm the tool’s utility.

“If results are promising, we envision using seismic volumetric curvature attributes as a screening tool, whereby we can eliminate locations that have potentially conductive faults,” Rush said. “The results will also be used to better understand karst-related reservoir compartmentalization within existing Arbuckle oil fields.”

Fatal Bulgarian Gas Pipe Blast Caused by High Pressure

November 13, 2011

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/11/accidental-explos...

Accidental explosion at Iran military base kills at least 27

Israel has been threatening a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. Tehran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

There have been a number of deadly blasts in recent years at industrial sites and military bases in Iran, including a gas leak explosion in May when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was visiting the Abadan oil refinery. A blast at a Republican Guard arms depot in the city of Khorramabad killed 18 soldiers in October 2010, according to media reports.

Saturday’s explosion sent a column of smoke into the air and rattled windows in Tehran’s suburbs, according to media reports. Some Iranians thought an earthquake or a gas explosion had happened. The Fars news agency said the blast occurred about 1:30 p.m. local time. The Associated Press reported that the Iranian exile group Mujahedin-e Khalq claimed the blast resulted from the explosion of rockets at a missile base for the Revolutionary Guard.

Guard spokesman Sharif said the blast was not linked to a nuclear test or the transport of missiles.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/11/14/restaurant-gas-explosion-in...

Restaurant Gas Explosion in China Leaves Nine Dead



 

http://www.onntv.com/content/stories/2011/11/16/story-gas-line-expl...

Gas Line Explosion Reported In SE Ohio

Emergency crews are on the scene of a gas line explosion near the Athens-Morgan County line.

The explosion occurred at about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, about five miles outside of Glouster.

Witnesses told ONN-TV that flames shot hundreds of feet into the air.

According to the Athens County EMA, the explosions resulted in a large number of fires along a stretch of the pipeline.

Authorities from Morgan County said the two residences that were damaged were 9500 Taylor Rd and 9436 Taylor Road.

One woman was transported from the scene after she was found walking down the road away from the fire, carrying her dog.

O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens confirmed that a person was treated for respiratory symptoms. It has not been determined if this was the same individual.

A Tennessee Gas Pipeline runs through the area. The gas line was the same that ruptured in Hanoverton, located in Columbiana County in February.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline officials turned off a number of valves to control the fires. The company said it will conduct an investigation of the incident.

Firefighters reported that one home and barn caught on fire.  No one was at the residence at the time of the explosion.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has closed State Route 329 in efforts to keep vehicular traffic from the incident area.

Athens County residents who have emergencies not related to the gas line incident are asked to call 911 and are asked to refrain from contacting 911 to report the gas line explosion.

Officials Order Shutdown of 27 Miles of Gas Pipeline in Ohio

HOUSTON--Federal officials have ordered the continued shutdown of 27 miles of natural gas pipeline in Ohio because of repeated problems with welds in the pipe, including one linked to an explosion that leveled several houses on Wednesday.

The investigation into the cause of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC explosion near Glouster, Ohio, is continuing, according to an order released late Thursday by the federal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203611404577045070512...

http://www.indystar.com/article/20111119/LOCAL18/111119005/Manhole-...|mostpopular|text|LOCAL

Manhole cover explosions reported Downtown

An underground explosion Downtown blew off manhole covers, set a car on fire and shut down traffic near the intersection of South Delaware and East Washington streets Saturday night.

Eyewitnesses said the explosion blew manhole covers into the air before 10 p.m.

Numerous intersections were closed as the Indianapolis Fire Department continued to work at 11:30 p.m. to get the underground blaze under control in an area north of Conseco Fieldhouse. No injuries were reported.

WTHR (Channel 13), the Star's newsgathering partner, reported that as Indianapolis Fire Department crews investigated the first explosion, another cover blew up beneath a department pickup truck.

IFD Capt. Eric Hofmeister told WTHR: "We've gotta be very careful with the amount of water we throw on these, because it can do two things. It can cause a secondary explosion and electricity can travel through our hose stream and injure firefighters. So there's not much we can do until the power's cut and that's what we're waiting on right now."

Traffic was restricted in the two blocks from the intersection of Washington and Delaware streets. People in the vicinity also reported smelling what they believed to be gas.

Indianapolis Power & Light Co. utility crews were contacted, and some power outages may occur in the Downtown area as the situation is resolved.

Saturday night's Downtown underground fire is at least the sixth since February 2010.

In June, the Star reported that at least five huge blasts in the previous 16 months -- including one in May outside Gov. Mitch Daniels' office at the Statehouse -- had put pressure on authorities to determine the cause.

No one was seriously injured in the five previous blasts, but they have damaged cars, scorched buildings and sent manhole covers soaring into the air, sometimes just a few feet from customers dining on patios. Some Downtown merchants and promoters have said they are concerned that future blasts might take a more serious toll.

Several of the previous explosions have been traced to faulty cables in Indianapolis Power & Light Co.'s sprawling network of underground equipment. The utility insisted it properly maintains its system. It said in June it would begin an "accelerated inspection plan" of its Downtown underground equipment.

http://www.firerescue1.com/hazards-hazmat/articles/1185098-Explosio...

Explosion rocks rural Ohio

3rd breach in gas pipeline this year sends huge fireball into sky; gas company has experienced 63 'incidents' since 2006

in Share

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8439646

5 firefighters injured in Pennsauken gas explosion

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. - November 21, 2011 (WPVI) -- Five firefighters were injured following a natural gas explosion early Monday in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

The explosion happened around 4:30 a.m. in a house located on the 2500 block of 42nd Street.

The injured firefighters were taken to Cooper University medical Center for treatment. All of their injuries are reportedly minor.

Officials say crews were battling a fire in the basement of the house when the explosion happened.

There is no word on what sparked the blaze.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20111121/NEWS01/311210043/Explos...|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

Explosion causes fire at GE

EVENDALE – Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze at GE Aviation following an explosion in a building that houses machinery that tests aviation parts.

No one was hurt in the two-alarm fire that was reported between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday at the plant along Interstate 75, officials said.

Evendale Fire Chief Rick Cruse said it probably will take awhile to figure out what caused the blast inside Building 300 at the north end of GE’s plant here. Two of the four walls were blown out of the building, which sits at the north end of GE’s property; no damage estimate was immediately available.

Three large hydraulic compressors are housed in the building, which is used for “strictly mechanical” purposes, Cruse said. Computers, not people, run all the components there, he said.

Firefighters were able to contain a leak of hydraulic fluid, Cruse said. Jet fuel, natural gas, water and electricity supplies were turned off in the area, Cruse said, adding that GE “is real conscientious about everything.”

GE spokesman Rick Kennedy said employees rarely occupy that area, and all buildings nearby are used to test aviation parts.

After the fire broke out, interstate was clogged alongside the plant because of rainy weather, rush-hour traffic and multiple fire trucks converging on the scene; some fire crews were advised to find an alternate route to reach the plant.

Evendale firefighters were able to extinguish the fire so rapidly, they didn’t need the extra help that poured in from neighboring departments, Cruse said. Firefighters from nine departments with 50 firefighters arrived to help but Evendale fire officials released most of those firefighters because they weren’t needed, Cruse said.

GE maintains its own fire department but Cruse was unsure whether GE firefighters were the first to fight the fire, C

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20111122/NEWS01/311220014/...

8 firefighters, EMT injured in Pennsauken blast

 PENNSAUKEN — Eight firefighters and an emergency medical technician received minor injuries Monday in a basement explosion during an early-morning house fire.

 Pennsauken Fire Chief Joseph Palumbo said all nine were released by the afternoon following treatment at Cooper University Hospital in Camden for minor burns or bruises. 

 The cause of the fire at the home in the 2500 block of 42nd Street remains under investigation by fire officials, Palumbo said.

He said the fire in the basement involved a release of natural gas from the regular service gas line. The fire at the two-story sided bungalow was reported around 4:40 a.m. and declared under control shortly after the explosion.

“As they (firemen) were stretching a hose line into the dwelling, a gas explosion occurred, causing significant interior and structural damage to the home,” the chief said.

At the time of the explosion, he said seven of those injured were inside the home and a battalion chief was on the porch.

However, a spokeswoman f

Former employee says he warned IPL about exploding manholes

A former IPL employee says he spent months trying to convince IPL to make safety changes to prevent manhole explosions but that IPL ignored him.

Fire shooting out of the streets, burning cars, man hole covers flying through the air, injuring people and damaging businesses—just some of the phrases used to describe the manhole explosions that have occurred in Ddowntown Indianapolis since 2005.

"On the positive side, nobody has been seriously hurt or killed yet--that's my terror," said Dwane Ingalls, a former IPL employee.  

A Canary Island government statement said a 55-year-old female Norwegian tourist was one of four people in critical condition after the blast at the Cordial Mogan Playa hotel in the southwest of the island. She was said to have burns to 100 percent of her body.

The rest of the injured were believed to be Spaniards working at the hotel, with the most seriously hurt flown by helicopter to hospitals on the island.

The statement said 17 other people were treated for minor anxiety attacks.

The blast occurred as a truck delivered propane to the hotel. Part of the building was affected by flames, forcing the ceiling of the hotel's spa to collapse.

Nearly 1,000 guests were evacuated. Spanish National Television said that the hotel hoped to let them return later in the day.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45414540/ns/travel-news/

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/breaking/Two-Businesses-Destroyed...

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/24/world/asia/china-plant-explosion/

6,000 people evacuated after chemical plant blast in China

(CNN) -- About 6,000 residents in southern China were evacuated Thursday after an explosion tore through a warehouse at a chemical plant, state media reported.

The blast took place around 2:35 p.m. at the Futian Chemical Company in the southern city of Guangzhou, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the local government.

A small amount of hydrogen chloride was detected in the air around the plant, Xinhua said. Hydrogen chloride is a colorless to lightly yellow toxic gas with a strong, irritating smell.

The news agency reported firefighters were still at the scene and that an investigation of the accident was under way.

On Saturday, 14 people died because of a chemical plant explosion in the eastern Chinese city of Xintai, state media said.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/212014.html

THE BLAME GAME.........

Witnesses said several masked saboteurs planted explosives under the pipeline, which is located around 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of the town of al-Arish in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, before fleeing, AFP reported on Friday.

The blast caused little damage and did not start a fire because little gas was flowing through the pipeline at the time due to repair work from a previous attack on November 10.

A recent opinion poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Egyptians oppose the terms of the country's gas deal with the Israeli regime.

According to a press TV poll conducted by Synovate, which was released on October 3, seventy three percent of the respondents said they were against gas exports to Israel. Only 9 percent of those surveyed said they agreed with the supplying of gas to the Israeli regime, and 12 percent had no opinion.

For Egyptians, the issue of supplying the Israeli regime with gas has always been a contentious one. Egyptians view Israel as an enemy and oppose engaging in any form of business with the regime.

Egypt's gas supply to Israel has been one of the main economic conditions of the US-sponsored 1979 peace treaty between the two sides.

Under a USD 2.5-billion export deal with Tel Aviv, signed in 2005, the Israeli regime receives around 40 percent of its gas supply from Egypt at a considerably low price.

Another article as people take notice of Irans mysterious explosions lately.  A comment:

Coincidences .... bad management and maintenance .... no suitable parts because of sanctions .... espionage .... but a fivefold increase in explosions at refineries and gas pipelines since 2010 should be enough to raise alarm bells in Tehran.

http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2011/11/iran-has-too-many-myster...

Friday, November 25, 2011

Iran Has Too Many Mysterious Explosions

 

TEHRAN — A massive blast at a missile base operated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps nearly two weeks ago was the latest in a series of mysterious incidents involving explosions at natural gas transport facilities, oil refineries and military bases — blasts that have caused dozens of deaths and damage to key infrastructure in the past two years.

Iranian officials said the Nov. 12 blast at the missile base was an “accident,” and they ruled out any sabotage organized by the United States and its regional allies. The explosion on the Shahid Modarres base near the city of Malard was so powerful that it shook the capital, Tehran, about 30 miles to the east.

 

Inquiry into gas plant explosion

Additional information on the Cork plant:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1126/1224308188692...

The Health and Safety Authority has started an investigation into an explosion at a gas bottling plant in Cork yesterday in which two men were injured.

The explosion at the Irish Oxygen Company plant at Waterfall on the southwest outskirts of Cork city happened at about 11.15am.

An oxygen cylinder exploded and two men suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries and were removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

The men, who are both from Cork and aged in their 20s and 40s, are understood to have suffered blast-type injuries to their faces.

There were up to six people working in the plant at the time. The explosion which blew off part of the roof of the factory was heard over a mile away in Bishopstown and a major emergency plan was launched.

Firefighters were concerned that material from the asbestos roof had become airborne and a cordon was set up around the damaged factory building.

Local elderly residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=14673

2011-11-26

AMMONNEWS - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Qutaiba Abu Qura said that Jordan’s natural gas supplies from Egypt were not affected by the explosion that hit an Egyptian pipeline on Friday morning. The pipeline which provides Jordan with Egyptian gas was not affected by the blast, which targeted an empty gas pipeline, the minister told Petra. Friday's blast targeted the pipeline which supplies the main station in Al Midan area, about 60 kilometers west of the town of Al-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula. The blast did not start a fire because gas was not flowing through the pipeline at the time due to repair work from the previous attack, the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) said.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/boat-328823-nelson-huntington.html

Boat explosion injures 8 in Huntington Harbor

HUNTINGTON BEACH – A boat exploded in Huntington Harbor about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, injuring eight people aboard, the Sheriff's Harbor Patrol said.

Nine people, ranging in age from teens to age 50, were on the 26-foot power boat when it exploded, Sheriff's Deputy William Nelson said. Eight were injured and have been taken to nearby hospitals, he said.

The passengers suffered burns and possibly broken bones, he said. Four were taken to trauma centers and four were taken to hospitals.

The eight people were pulled out of the water by OC Sheriff's Harbor Patrol and a retired Harbor Patrol man on a private boat. A Long Beach lifeguard boat helped to

http://gulfnews.co

21 buildings damaged in fire sparked by gas leak

Two hurt in pre-dawn incident that rocks Mussaffah area in Abu Dhabi

• By Iman Sherif and Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporters
• Published: 00:00 November 28, 2011

Abu Dhabi: Twenty-one buildings in Mussaffah were damaged in a fire sparked by an explosion of a natural gas pipe in a building, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence said yesterday.

A spokesman said an eight-storey building caught fire yesterday early morning when a gas pipe exploded. The incident happened in a restaurant in the building. Two people, a man and a woman, were injured, and 21 buildings as well as 45 cars parked in the vicinity were also damaged.

"The operations room received an alert about the incident at 3.30am," said Colonel Shaikh Mohammad Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, director of the police directorate of the outer regions.

"The Civil Defence fire brigade, police and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings," he added.

A imam of a mosque and a woman sustained minor injuries and were rushed to Al Mafraq Hospital after they were given first aid. He said the first two floors of the building, where the fire started and some of the shops were destroyed.

A leak in the gas pipe was the cause of the explosion.

"Buildings must be inspected every three months in cooperation with authorised gas companies and the civil service department," said Colonel Mohammad Bin Naseeb Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence

Al Nuaimi advised landlords and restaurant operators to follow safety procedures including regular inspections of gas tanks and pipes. He also called for installation of fire alarm systems.

Multiple cylinders

A witness who spoke to Gulf News on condition of anonymity said the problem was caused by the unsafe practice of connecting multiple cylinders to the main gas pipe.

"One of the cylinders leaked and exploded, causing other cylinders to explode," he said. Another witness said the main explosion occurred in a cafeteria.

An Indian resident, J.P.S., who was residing in one of the damaged buildings said he and family members panicked and thought there was an earthquake.

"Soon after the explosion, somebody rang our doorbell and alerted us about the fire. We ran outside the building but did not find any fire in our building but saw windows were broken everywhere," he said.

Hanif, an Indian owner of a restaurant in a small hotel three rows behind the building that caught fire, was upset that the glass windows and fixtures in his restaurant was entirely broken.

"We called the police who came and took pictures and left. No compensation was promised," he said. "We were lucky the incident happened at night or else several people would have been injured," he said.

‘Horrific to run out'

He found a minor

http://corgitechnical.com/news/ascot-homes-evacuated-after-suspecte...

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story2...

KUALA LUMPUR - A restaurant at the ground floor of the Maju Junction Shopping Mall caught fire in an explosion believed to be due to a gas leak.

A distress call was received at about 11.25pm, said City Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Azizan Ismail.

"A fire engine from the Chow Kit fire station was immediately dispatched to the scene and found that the explosion occurred due to a leak in a gas pipe in the restaurant's kitchen.

"The severity of the explosion caused the glass doors and ceiling at the restaurant to break and collapse," he said yesterday.

Firemen then shut off the gas supply to the restaurant.

Azizan said a Hazmat (hazardous materials) team was also dispatched to the scene to assess the damage and inspect the gas valves and pipes.

"No one was injured during the incident as the shopping mall closes at 10pm daily," he said, adding that the restaurant was closed till further notice.

Mall general manager Albert Khoo said this was the first time such an incident had occurred since the premises opened in 2002.

Yesterday's was the second explosion at a shopping mall after a similar explosion rocked the Empire Shopping Gallery in September.

That explosion resulted in four people being injured.

http://www.yalibnan.com/2011/11/28/an-explosion-rocks-iranian-city-...

An explosion rocks Iranian city of Isfahan

OK......This 1 is really interesting as it was the water that exploded on a hot pan being cleaned from a tofu meal.    Methane coming up from the drain, methane coming from the water?  Hot pan meets cold water and BAM....explosion.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/portland-ore-investigators-p...

Portland, Ore., investigators puzzled by explosion while woman was cleaning tofu pan

http://barenakedislam.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/oops-mystery-explosi...

OOPS! Mystery explosion rocks Iranian nuclear site

Posted: November 28, 2011 | Author: barenakedislam | Filed under: EnemyWithin-foreign     |28 Comments »

IRAN’S Fars news agency says blast heard distinctly in several parts of the western Iran city; a uranium conversion plant near Isfahan went online in 2004. Iranian government said to be embarrased by this latest in a series of explosions and cyber attacks on its nuclear facilities.

HAARETZ  According to reports, frightened residents called the fire department after the blast, forcing the city authorities to admit there had been an explosion.

 

Speaking with Fars news agency, Isfahan’s deputy mayor confirmed the reports and said the authorities are investigating the matter. However, after the incident was reported in Israel, the report was taken off the Fars website.

It seems that city authorities and the Iranian government were embarrassed by the reports of a blasts, releasing contradictory versions of the alleged events. One example is a statement given by the same deputy mayor to the Mehr news agency, saying he had no reports of an explosion.

Another confirmation came from the head of the city’s judiciary, who said an explosion-like sound was heard. Meanwhile, the Mehr news agency reported there has been a blast at a petrol station near the city. Another report pointed to a training accident.

The reported incident occurred about two weeks after Gen. Hasan Tehrani Moghaddam was killed together with 20 other Guard members Nov. 12 at a mi

http://daledamos.blogspot.com/2011/11/explosion-in-isfahan-iran-if-...

Monday, November 28, 2011

Explosion In Isfahan, Iran: If It's Not The Mossad, Is It From The ...

"At least 17 gas pipeline explosions have been reported since last year, compared with three in 2008 and 2009. At the same time, nearly a dozen major explosions have damaged refineries since 2010, but experts say it is complicated to determine the cause of such incidents."
Washington Post, Mysterious explosions pose dilemma for Iranian leaders

All the Washington Post had to do today was report on the upsurge in major explosions in Iran, and someone in Iran decided to oblige: Explosion rocks Iran city of Isfahan, home to key nuclear facility:

An explosion rocked the western Iranian city of Isfahan on Monday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, adding that the blast was heard in several parts of the city.


According to reports, frightened residents called the fire department after the blast, forcing the city authorities to admit there had been an explosion.

Iran has resorted to denying some of these explosions or giving some other explanation for what is happening--but has seemed to be reluctant to come right out and blame the Mossad or the CIA for the incidents.

The explanation that Michael Ledeen gave to the explosion 2 weeks ago is still valid.

Michael Ledeen credited the Iranian opposition with the attacks fro...:

These attacks on the Guards — the symbol of the regime’s intensifying repression and slaughter of the Iranian people — are part of a pattern that includes explosions at refineries and pipelines. At the same time, strikes have been spreading (and no wonder; up to 30,000 retired teachers have been waiting for their pensions for many months). In short, people have lost patience, and the smaller of the two explosions at the RG base was aimed at Major General Hasan Tehrani Moghaddam, one of the most brutal of the country’s military leaders.

Contrary to the inevitable suspicions of the thumb-suckers (the Americans did it! no, the Israelis did it! no, it was an accident!), the operation was planned and carried out by Iranians from the opposition-that-does-not-exist.  

They intended to demonstrate that no leader is s

http://www.walb.com/story/16144819/explosion-blows-woman-out-of-house

Dawson, GA -

Investigators think a gas leak is to blame for an explosion that blasted 50-year-old Ella Mae Ware out of her Dawson home Monday night. The incident happened between 6:00 and 7:00.

Arson investigators are digging through what's left of her home at 349 10th Street in Dawson.

Ware was taken to the burn unit at an Augusta hospital for treatment and was scheduled for surgery today.

The house is a total loss, and investigators are scheduled to interview the landlord later today.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6058526/Deadly-gas-threatens-Huntly...

Deadly gas threatens Huntly miners

LOUISE RISK, BELINDA FEEK AND MATT BOWEN

Workers say a Pike River-level disaster has been narrowly avoided in the Waikato after an explosive level of gas was detected at Huntly East Coal Mine.

An experienced miner, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect his job, says the Huntly East Coal Mine is a "time bomb" after explosive levels of gas were found while 40 men were working underground earlier this month.

"It was a Pike River ready to go," he said.

But Solid Energy – who own the mine – are downplaying the seriousness of what they say was a single event.

Communications manager Vicki Blyth confirmed "higher than normal methane levels" were detected in an area of the mine on November 11 due to a geological fault, but she said that was "not unusual with underground mining".

"We implemented our standard procedures," she said.

Those procedures involved the staff being "stood down" to work in another area of the mine while an auxiliary fan was used to ventilate the area at a slow and steady rate.

She said an internal investigation had been launched into the matter.

The Labour Department have also confirmed they are investigating an incident at the mine.

"As we are investigating the incident there is no other comment we can make," a spokeswoman said.

But workers at the mine have grave concerns about the mine's safety.

An experienced miner said the methane levels in the Huntly East mine built up to a potentially explosive 5 per cent in the area men were working.

A royal commission of inquiry into the Pike River explosion – that killed 29 men last year – has revealed methane levels spiked to between 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent of air inside the mine two weeks before the first deadly explosion.

The miner said a methane level of 2 per cent was enough to evacuate, and "bleeding" or venting of the mine happened when levels hit 3 or 4 per cent.

A methane level between 5 per cent and 15 per cent combined with oxygen and an ignition source would spark an explosion.

"It's serious. It's a time bomb."

He blamed a lack of experience among management at the mine for the incident.

"All the experienced section managers have gone to Australia. The managers have less and less experience."

Mrs Blyth also confirmed a "different matter" involving Huntly East Coal Mine employees was being investigated, but would not elaborate further due to the investigation.

The Waikato Times understands the incident – on November 15 – involves two shift managers, one a senior manager with 40 years of experience, and the other an experienced trainee manager.

The two managers are understood to have, on two separate occasions, flicked a switch from automatic lock

http://www.demopolistimes.com/2011/12/03/gas-line-rupture-causes-ex...

Crews battling gas line fire [UPDATED]
Published 4:05pm Saturday, December 3, 2011

Firefighters and crews from Williams Gas & Pipeline have shut down a gas pipeline that ruptured and caused a massive fire Saturday afternoon. The fire has died down but crews from Marengo Fire and Rescue are unable to reach the property and battle the blaze.

The explosion, which was first reported at approximately 3:30 p.m., could be heard from as far away as north Demopolis.

The fire was isolated to a mostly unpopulated area down Highway 69 toward Myrtlewood, near Rembert Hills Road on hunting land. There were no injuries reported but there witnesses say there were three hunters on the property at the time of the explosion, two of which have been accounted for.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/family-escapes-home-gas-...

Family escapes home gas explosion at Essendon North

A FAMILY was lucky to escape after a leaking gas cylinder caused an explosion, shattering the windows in their Essendon North unit.

A FAMILY was lucky to escape after a leaking gas cylinder caused an explosion, shattering the windows in their Essendon North unit.

Firefighters were called to a fire in the unit in O’Shannassy St about 2.15pm.

MFB commander Bob Undy said firefighters believed a man may have accidently turned two LPG gas cylinders, believed to be about 9kg each, on as he moved them from the laundry to a back bedroom while the family did some cleaning.

The man’s wife and child were in the bedroom, heard a hissing noise and the family evacuated the unit.

Cmdr Undy said the gas spread from the bedroom to the laundry and made contact with the pilot light.

''That caused a flashover and fire in the back bedroom and because of the fire in the bedroom a disk in the LPG cylinder ruptured and caused an explosion, blowing out all the windows in the unit and one in another unit six or seven metres away,'' he said.  

Cmdr Undy said crews managed to bring the fire in the bedroom and roof space under control straight away.

''If the mother hadn’t been in the back bedroom and heard the hissing they would have been badly burnt,'' he said.

''We are really pushing that people don’t store their LPG cylinders inside and they check their gas BBQ cylinders and hose lines are fitted for used coming into summer.

Six burn in two accidents

Four people were burnt in a gas cylinder blast at a house in Chak No103, Bahawalpur, on Sunday. 

Those injured were identified as 45-year-old Bhagwan Das, 42-year-old Dharmi Mai, 30-year-old Mariam Mai and four-year-old Bindya.

They are under treatment for the burn injuries at Shaikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan.

Doctors at the hospital told The Express Tribune that more than 90 per cent of Bahgwan Das’s body had burnt and that his condition was critical.

The other three had suffered burns on 40 to 50 per cent of their bodies.

Mariam Mai said she was cooking food in the kitchen when the incident took place. “I was occupied with work and didn’t realise gas was leaking from the cylinder,” she said. She said before she could rush to turn off the gas, the cylinder caught fire and exploded.

The family was rushed to the hospital by their neighbour, Shakeel, who said he and other members of his family gathered at the spot hearing the sound of the explosion.

In another incident, two workers at a sugar mill in Rahim Yar Khan, Shahbaz Ahmed and Mohammad Shakeel, were burnt in a fire at the boiler.

Rescue officials said the fire was caused due to an electric short circuit.

They were taken to Shaikh Zayed Hospital where doctors described their condition as critical.

24-year-old Muhammad Shahbaz, a resident of Khan Bela, died after he was run over by a speeding mini bus. The driver managed to escape from the scene.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/302336/six-burn-in-two-accidents/

Several people injured in fire at gas station store near Alaska’s Denali National Park

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, December 5, 2:18 AM

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A fire raged through a gas station convenience store near Alaska’s Denali National Park Sunday night and injured several people, including three who were hospitalized, authorities said.

Crews suspect an explosion near a checkout counter inside the store possibly touched off the fire in Cantwell, said Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Mike Roberts.

“The fire has fully engulfed the structure,” Roberts told The Associated Press. He said that by late at night it appeared to be diminishing.

The area around the station was cordoned off as a precaution against a gasoline or propane explosion.

“Basically, they’re sealing off the area, not letting anyone in, making sure it’s clear of people,” he said.

Firefighters believed the danger to the station’s fuel tanks had likely passed, but were concerned about a propane tank located behind the building and were working to protect it from the flames, Roberts said.

Several people were treated on the scene for minor burns, but two people were hospitalized with burns and another with head and back injuries from the initial blast, Roberts said.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that high winds caused problems for the firefighters, who came from three area departments.

Roberts said the scene was still too convulsed to make an exact determination if the suspected blast was the cause. He said investigators would be on the scene through the night and state fire marshals would respond in the morning.

Cantwell is located just outside the eastern boundary of Denali National Park and about 175 miles north of Anchorage.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/several-people-injured-in-fi...

http://tribune.com.pk/story/302801/loud-blast-attributed-exploding-...

Loud blast attributed to exploding gas cylinder in Karachi
Published: December 6, 2011

Investigators recover ball bearings from walls opposite the site of a cylinder blast in Karachi.
Rangers personnel gather at the site of the explosion which caused a wall to collapse
A man shows the ball bearings recovered at the site of a 'gas cylinder explosion'. The explosion was power enough to bring down a wall, damage adjacent stores. Investigators recover ball bearings from walls opposite the site of a cylinder blast in Karachi.
KARACHI: A loud blast was heard in Karachi on Monday evening, which police attributed to a gas cylinder exploding, Express News reported.

The cylinder was installed at an auto-electrician’s store in Lines area which has a number of stores for auto parts, electricians and auto mechanics.

The blast destroyed the store where it was installed, however no injuries or casualties were reported.

The blast was heard in far off places such as Defence phase VI, at least 10 kilometers from the blast site.

Police, Rangers, Scouts and emergency services have reached the spot and cordoned off the area.

Security forces are on high alert in the city due to ongoing events linked to Muharram.

A Muharram procession had passed by the site before the blast took place. Security forces had sealed all stores along the procession’s route in advance.

The minority Shia sect has been repeatedly targeted during Muharram in the past prompting secuirty forces to remain on high alert. Attacks have taken place during the critical days of Muharram 9 and Muharram 10 when activities are their peak.

Rehman Malik forms committee to investigate blast

Interior Minister took note of a cylinder explosion along a Muharram procession route, ordering a Joint Investigation Team to investigate the blast.

People at the blast site questioned that the blast was the result of a cylinder exploding given the proximity to a Muharram procession route and the tell tale sign of ball bearings at the scene.