Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Explosions on the rise
MASSIVE explosion rips through industrial park near Argentina’s main international airport.
SOZT
Fault lines, when adjusting, do not just rip apart one day during a dramatic earthquake. They most often creep. Laying gas lines along or across a fault line is asking for an accident of this sort. Fault lines are also seldom so clearly delineated that one can go a mile in this or that direction and avoid their action. Where a slip-slide fault such as the San Andreas will often leave a clear line on the surface, this is only the surface action, not what occurs in the rock layers on either side which can fracture for a long way to either side during any movement. The gas company, or the age of the pipes, will be faulted but in truth the finger should be pointed in many directions. The public, who insist on living at such a scenic spot, is to blame. Officials, who zoned for housing are to blame. The public utility company, for allowing gas lines in the area, is to blame. But this will change nothing, while man continues to live on the San Andreas, even as it awakens. EOZT
http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/18sp2010.htm
SOZT
The danger from radon gas will not be increased as a result of the pole shift. Radon gas is emitted by rock containing uranium, which is degrading. In normal circumstances, where air can circulate, it is disbursed rapidly as is any methane created by decay of organic material. The danger from these gasses comes from confinement - being trapped in a mine, a basement, or beneath the permafrost. The dangers are well known. For methane, it is explosions. An accumulation of methane gas can be identified by the smell of rotten eggs, or as some have described it, dirty socks or cabbage soup. For radon gas the danger is lung cancer, from the continual exposure to the radioactive air. Radon gas is odorless and cannot be detected except by specialized equipment not in the hands of the average person.
In that the pole shift, or the Earth changes preceding the pole shift, can fracture rock and release pockets of either gas, survivors should be cautious about huddling in bunkers. You are safer out in the open air, or in a trench you have dug that will allow the pole shift winds to pass over you, but nothing to fall on and crush you. The fact that both methane gas and radon gas can accumulate in the bunkers of the elite is one of the reasons we have stated that they have dug their own graves. EOZT
http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/12mr2011.htm
SOZT
Anyone watching the news, for instance the news on the San Bruno explosion in a distribution line close to the San Andreas Fault line, knows that gas in any form is a danger. Oil and gas refineries explode when rigid piping cracks. Oil or gas wells explode when the ground around them moves. And the gas distribution lines running under cities are no exception. They likewise will explode. Gas lines, whether along the street or within a home, are rigid. In some cases automatic shutoff valves can limit the amount of gas available for an explosion by sensing a drop in pressure, but this is always after the fact. The explosion has already occurred. Utilizing gas on a planet prone to earthquakes was a mistake to begin with, but man never thinks of the consequences when striving for modern conveniences. We have advised turning off the gas at the street, though when the street explodes and your neighbor's homes are on fire you are not likely to escape the holocaust. A better alternative is to live in an area where gas is not available, as in your rural safe location where you will be doing a form of camping while gardening. A campfire at night, for cooking and washing and a bit of friendly light before bed. Nothing explosive. EOZT
http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/02oc2010.htm
SOZT Answer: It is no accident that the New Madrid fault lies under the Mississippi River near Memphis, as rivers form in lowlands created when land pulls apart, separating the rock fingers and weakening support for the land. Thus, the Ohio River bed also is an indication of where rock fingers will pull apart. Two adjustments in Kentucky, a day apart, are not an accident, but an indication of the speed at which the stretch zone is starting to adjust. Rail lines are frequently an early harbinger of such adjustments, as they run long distances, whereas structures within cities, such as tall buildings, take up relatively little space and have a small footprint. Our warning that imploding cities will be experienced, before the hour of the shift, are in this regard. Be warmed, it will not just be your rail lines and gas and water mains that will shatter and be pulled apart during the stretch. The foundations of your tall buildings will likewise be vulnerable.EOZT
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.powderbulksolids.com/news/12-Dead-After-Fertilizer-Plan...
12 Dead After Fertilizer Plant Explosion in Egypt
12 or more people are dead after an explosion in a gas tank rocked a a fertilizer plant in Ain Sokhna, Egypt on Thursday, international and local news organizations reported.
Officials told news wire service Reuters that the tank blew up at an Egyptian military-owned phosphates production facility. Workers were performing tests on the tank when the incident occurred, according to the BBC.
Chemical industry news website ICIS speculated that the site of the explosion was a El Nasr Company for Intermediate Chemicals (NCIC) phosphates and compound fertilizer facility that is slated to become operational later this year.
While no official tally on the fatalities is available, many local and international media outlets reported that more than 12 people perished during the incident. Egyptian state news agency MENA said that 15 people in total were killed or injured.
and another:
https://uncova.com/video-gas-explosion-rocks-surulere
Video: Gas explosion rocks Surulere
Thursday, March 21, 2019 4:57 pm
Fire devastate mechanic village
A gas explosion has rocked Bab Animashaun area of Surulere, sending panic in the neighbourhood.
Balls of fire and thick smokes enveloped the atmosphere on Thursday while officials of the Lagos State Fire Service battled to put out the fire.
The fire was said to have emanated from a Mechanic Village in the area, as goods worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Watch video here:
Mar 22, 2019
Tracie Crespo
www.wsfa.com/2019/04/02/explosion-reported-houston-area-plant/
2nd Texas chemical fire in about 2 weeks kills worker
HOUSTON (AP) — A tank holding a flammable chemical caught fire at a Texas plant Tuesday, killing one worker, critically injuring two others and sending panicked employees fleeing over a fence to safety.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed the fatality in a tweet and said the two injured had been taken by helicopter to a hospital. The two injured were in critical condition, said Rachel Moreno, spokeswoman for the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office.
Authorities shut down a roadway near Tuesday’s fire at a KMCO chemical plant in Crosby, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston, Gonzalez said. Fire crews battled the blaze for about 5 ½ hours before they extinguished it, according to the fire marshal’s office.
All residents within a one-mile radius of the plant were ordered to stay indoors or shelter in place for about four hours. It was not immediately known how many residents were affected by the shelter in place. Crosby has about 2,300 residents. The fire sent a large black plume of smoke into the air.
The fire erupted about two weeks after a March 17 blaze at a petrochemical storage facility in Deer Park , located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Crosby. That fire at a facility owned by Intercontinental Terminals Company burned for days and triggered air quality warnings. Crosby also is where an Arkema’s chemical plant was inundated by water during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Some chemicals eventually caught fire and partially exploded.
"It is disturbing and it is problematic that we're seeing this incident in a facility, especially on the heels of" the fire in Deer Park, said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county's top administrator.
Samantha Galle lives less than a mile away from the plant and said she heard and felt an explosion Tuesday.
“It shook everybody’s house around here,” the 23-year-old said.
The fire spread to a nearby warehouse where dry chemicals are stored.
Moreno said the Environmental Protection Agency has been testing air samples from the area around the plant and has not found any harmful readings.
Worker Justin Trahan told Houston television station KPRC that he heard "some panic on the radio" but no alarms sounding before the plant caught fire.
"We didn't think anything of it — we didn't think it was anything severe," he said.
Trahan said employees began running after “the tank ignited.”
Pilar Davis, a product manager with KMCO, said none of the emergency evacuation points at the plant were blocked during the fire.
At a news conference late Tuesday afternoon, John C. Foley, chief executive of KMCO, said a cause of the blaze is still being determined.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation ... and take steps to ensure this doesn't happen again," Foley said.
Davis said the fire initially ignited with isobutylene but was fueled by ethanol and ethyl acrylate. All three are chemicals and solvents used to make fuel additives at the plant.
Davis declined to comment on the worker who was killed and the two who were injured, only saying they were part of KMCO’s operations department.
KMCO, which was founded in 1975, is a chemical company that offers coolant and brake fluid products and chemicals for the oilfield industry.
The Crosby, Sheldon and Channelview school districts asked students and staff to shelter in place at all their campuses. But later Tuesday afternoon, all three districts lifted those orders to shelter in place.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said that it has dispatched emergency response personnel to conduct an initial assessment of the fire.
Foley said his company's number one priority "is safety and compliance."
"We have a long track record of investing in the people, the systems and the assets to operate safely," he said.
Meanwhile, the Texas Attorney General’s office filed a petition in state district court in Austin on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The petition seeks a permanent injunction, civil penalties and reasonable attorney fees, court costs, along with recovery of investigative costs.
KMCO has had environmental violations in the past, according to a review of records.
In 2016, KMCO’s corporate agents pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge of violating the Clean Air Act. A plea agreement document stated that a plant employee made false entries in logs of air testing of tanks that were known to be leaking chemicals. Another employee then used those falsified logs to submit reports to the federal and state environmental authorities. The document says the violation went on between 2008 and 2012.
A year earlier, the EPA cited KMCO for failing to comply with regulations on its risk-management plan for the plant, but settled with the plant for a $2,700 penalty.
Texas has served the plant with three notices of violation of a federal clean-air law since last August, the EPA website shows. Harris County had obtained an injunction against KMCO in 2009 that required the firm to pay $100,000 in civil penalties and give investigators easy access to the plant and prompt notification of releases.
___
Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant in Houston, Jake Bleiberg and Terry Wallace in Dallas, Jill Zeman in Little Rock, Arkansas, Adam Kealoha Causey in Oklahoma City and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2019 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Apr 3, 2019
Tracie Crespo
https://www.wesh.com/article/silo-explodes-at-lake-county-asphalt-p...
Silo explosion at Lake County asphalt plant heard from miles away
A silo exploded at an asphalt plant early Thursday morning and the boom could be heard from miles away.
It happened in the 1200 block of Commerce Street at an address associated with DAB Constructors.
Nobody was seriously hurt in the blast, but metal was thrown all over the plant.
Crews spent the morning peeling dangling metal off the silos and beginning cleanup efforts.
A man who lives nearby told WESH 2 News the explosion knocked a clock off his wall.
Apr 5, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/dozens-injured-as-gas-explosion-guts-to...
Dozens injured as gas explosion guts top floor of Spanish apartment block
A supposed gas explosion has ripped through an entire floor of an apartment block in Madrid. The powerful blast which tore off the brick walls of parts of the 16-floor building has reportedly left 16 people in hospital recovering from minor injuries.
A powerful explosion that ripped through a top-floor apartment in a high-rise building in southeastern Madrid and blew out several of its walls has left 16 people injured.
The apartment was inhabited by elderly people and an investigation had been launched into how a gas leak could have sprung and been responsible for the damage, police sources told EFE.
The entire building was evacuated and emergency services set up a small field hospital in a street outside to attend to the injured, most of them hurt by falling bricks and masonry although some had to be treated for anxiety attacks, the sources said.
The street and some of the vehicles parked below were covered in rubble and many windows belonging to neighbouring homes had been blown in, police said.
Specialist firefighters were reviewing the entire building floor-by-floor to see how much structural damage had been caused to it, while other agents were doing the same to nearby addresses to determine the extent of the destruction and also to verify if there were more people inured.
Roadblocks were set up outside by firefighters as well as Municipal and National Police so as to stop anyone else being injured by falling rubble, the sources said.
The National Police had deployed its specialist rapid reaction and scientific units, the sources said
Apr 6, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://news4sanantonio.com/news/nation-world/house-explodes-in-nor...
House explodes in North Texas
TARRANT COUNTY Texas — One person was hurt after an explosion leveled a home near Fort Worth on Saturday.
Fire officials say a renovation crew was inside the six-thousand square foot house when the explosion happened.
Investigators are looking into whether a propane gas leak could be to blame.
The Tarrant County Fire Marshall says it's more likely that fumes from lacquer being used may have been ignited.
Officials say the owners of the house were not home at the time of the explosion.
The house is a total loss.
Apr 7, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2019/04/08/2003712993
Blast sparks fire at FPG factory in Yunlin County
SHUT DOWN:The Yunlin County Government ordered the factory to be closed immediately to allow for an investigation into the cause of the explosion
Black smoke rises from a Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp aromatics production plant in the Formosa Plastics Group naphtha cracker complex in Yunlin County’s Mailiao Township yesterday following a gas explosion and fire.
Photo: CNA
A gas explosion yesterday at a petrochemical plant in the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團) naphtha cracker complex in Yunlin County’s Mailiao Township (麥寮) sparked a fire, but there were no casualties, a FPG executive said.
The blast was triggered by a leak of liquefied petroleum gas, said Chen Wen-yang (陳文仰), a deputy director in FPG’s Mailiao management division.
The explosion occurred at an aromatics production factory run by Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp (台灣化纖) at about 2pm, and the blast was heard by people living up to 6km away, local firefighters said.
It was followed by a dense plume of smoke rising into the sky.
The fire was reported to the Yunlin County Fire Department at 2:05pm and fire trucks and ambulances from several brigades were dispatched to the plant.
When they arrived 20 minutes later, a fire was blazing, the firefighters said.
The blaze was quickly brought under control, Chen said.
Operations at the aromatics factory have been suspended to allow for a complete inspection of its pipelines, he added.
The Yunlin County Government, which ordered the factory to be immediately shut down for the investigation, said it would impose a NT$5 million (US$162,248) fine on the company for contravening the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法).
It demanded that FPG replace old pipelines and equipment in the naphtha cracker complex.
The group should also take full responsibility for the repairs of nearby fish ponds and residential properties damaged by the explosion, the country government said.
Apr 8, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Multiple-Manhole-Explosions-F...
Violent Manhole Explosions Rattle Midtown Manhattan; 4 Hurt
Several buildings were evacuated, including Chelsea Day School, because of elevated carbon monoxide levels in the area
April 24 2019
A series of manhole explosions rattled midtown Manhattan Wednesday, making people jump with sudden booms as black smoke billowed out from underground.
Four people, a building supervisor and three firefighters, were hurt in the fires, which erupted underground on 32nd Street shortly before 10 a.m. All were expected to be OK. Con Edison was called to turn off power in the area, and first responders shut down 32nd Street between Fifth and Madison avenues.
The building at the site of the initial manhole fire was evacuated. Others nearby, including Chelsea Day School, were also evacuated after elevated carbon monoxide levels were detected. That can happen with manhole fires, officials said.
Apr 24, 2019
Yvonne Lawson
Series of 'apocalyptic' explosions at Tata steelworks in Port Talbot leave at least two people injured as photos show huge mushroom cloud rising above the plant
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6962115/Three-huge-explosi...
A series of 'apocalyptic' explosions at the Tata steelworks in Port Talbot rocked the Welsh town in the early hours of this morning, injuring two people.
Residents heard three blasts at around 3.35am, while photos on social media showed a mushroom cloud of smoke rising into the sky above the plant. Bright flashes could also be seen in video shared online.
Police believe the fire started inside a train carrying molten metal into the site, which is the UK's largest steelworks, triggering further blazes nearby.
Tata Steel said they 'dealt with an incident at our Port Talbot site' but only two people suffered 'minor' injuries'.
They later added: 'We can confirm there are no serious injuries and all employees have been accounted for. All fires are now under control.'
The plant, which Tata took over from Corus Steel in 2007, employs 4,000 people.
Residents took to social media to share their shock over the scale of the explosions.
Local Mathew Kearney said the blast was 'the loudest thing I've ever heard'.
He wrote: 'Woke me sharply, and continued to crash as I came to. Plagued now with worry about the works. Can hear helicopters above now. Surreal, this. Hope everyone is okay. '
Laura Morris described 'apocalyptic scenes'. She said: 'I hope from whatever has happened at the Steel Works Port Talbot, that everyone is ok.'
Witness Lance Davies told Sky News: 'It sounded like thunder at first and that's what woke me up.
'I heard one explosion and that drew my attention to the window and so I went to look outside the window and there were two more explosions.
'It was a big bubble of orange flame and a cloud of smoke that looked like a mushroom.'
One woman who lives nearby told Good Morning Britain: 'I woke up hearing three really loud explosions. It sounded like a bomb had gone off.'
A man who lives in the area told the programme: 'It was about 3.35 in the morning I heard three separate explosions. One louder bang and then two others.
'The actual house shook slightly. When I went up to the local garage 10 minutes later, they rang the police because they thought someone was breaking in.'
Despite the scale of the blast, South Wales Police said they believe only two people suffered 'minor' injuries.
Apr 26, 2019
Juan F Martinez
UKRAINE Huge explosion at gas station 4-27-2019
Apr 27, 2019
Juan F Martinez
1 dead, 2 missing as 'ground-shaking’ explosion levels Illinois silicone plant (VIDEOS)
A massive ground-shaking explosion rocked a suburb north of Chicago on Friday night as a building was leveled by a mysterious blast that claimed at least one life.
The explosion took place at about 9pm at the AB Specialty Silicone plant in Waukegan, 40 miles north of Chicago. One fatality has been confirmed, two people are missing and four others were injured in the blast. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to stay away from the area.
https://www.rt.com/usa/458359-massive-explosion-chicago-suburb/
May 5, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-48190598
Lidgate gas explosion: Two dead in Suffolk bungalow blast
Two people have died in a suspected gas explosion which destroyed a bungalow.
The rear of the home was blown out by a series of explosions at the property in The Street in Lidgate, near Newmarket in Suffolk.
Crews began tackling the blaze at about midday and specialist dogs were later brought in after two people were "unaccounted for".
The cause of the explosion is unknown and a joint fire and police investigation is taking place.
Officers said the fire was believed to have been caused by a gas explosion.
One neighbour said it rattled the windows of homes further along the road, and described it as a "huge explosion".
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent four crews to deal with the blaze.
Fire officers had spent the afternoon trying to establish the whereabouts of the two missing people.
Incident commander Darren Reeve said: "We are working extremely hard to try and identify if we have anyone in or not."
Police said the road was likely to remain closed "for quite some time".
May 10, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/state-news/one-dead-three-injur...
One dead, three injured in home explosion in Jeffersonville
JEFFERSONVILLE — One person is dead and three people are injured after a home exploded Sunday morning in southern Indiana.
Jeffersonville Fire Department firefighters and other emergency personnel were called just before 5 a.m. on the report of a possible home explosion, JFD Sgt. Justin Ames said. When they arrived, they located "catastrophic damage" to the home and damage to other nearby homes.
About 12 to 15 homes in total were damaged, JFD Chief Eric Hedrick said.
The conditions of those injured have not been released.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
May 19, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1152526.shtml
2 dead, 8 injured following China steel factory blast
A gas pipe explosion at a steel factory in the city of Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, has killed two people and injured eight others, the provincial emergency response authority said Thursday.
The accident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Fangda special steel company, officials said.
One of the victims died on Thursday afternoon due to severe burns. The injured, six of whom are still in critical conditions, are receiving treatment.
An investigation is underway.
May 31, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/house-explosion-fire-in-redbank...
House explosion, fire in Redbank Township injures one, causes over $1 million in damages
Updated: May 30, 2019 05:03 PM EDT
REDBANK TOWNSHIP, CLARION COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) -- One person was injured after a house explosion and fire on Pine Run Road in Redbank Township Tuesday.
Crews investigated the incident that occurred on May 28 around 8 p.m. The victim, Donna Kemmer, 68, of Mayport, Pa., was in bed at the single story home when she heard a loud explosion and found herself buried under the residential structure wall, according to reports.
Kemmer was able to get free from the rubble and went to a neighbor for assistance.
Officials have determined that the cause of the fire was due to migrating natural gas in the basement.
The structure with a garage and greenhouse are a total loss, with estimated damage between $1.5 and $2 million.
The fire has been ruled accidental and the victim was transported from the scene.
May 31, 2019
Juan F Martinez
2 missing, 20 + injured as massive blasts hit TNT plant in Russia’s Dzerzhinsk city Published 1 Jun, 2019
The blasts were so powerful that people even heard them in Bogorodsk, another city, some 15 km away. Meanwhile, residents in Dzershinsk saw large plumes of grey smoke rising above the city streets. Witnesses said that the shockwave from the explosions shattered windows in nearby buildings.
This is not the first time explosions had happened at the same TNT-maker. On April 4, a blast brought down one of its one-story structures. It took an hour to put down the fire, and, luckily, no one got hurt that day. A much deadlier explosion occurred in the plant in August, when five of its workers were killed.
https://www.rt.com/news/460800-blast-hits-explosives-plant-russia/
Jun 1, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.myhighplains.com/news/pipeline-explosion-sw-of-dumas-sh...
Pipeline explosion SW of Dumas shuts down portion of FM 722
Pipeline has been shut down
Posted: Jun 06, 2019 09:52 PM CDT
Updated: Jun 06, 2019 10:41 PM CDT
Crews are responding to a pipeline explosion near the DCP Plant on FM 722 in Moore County.
According to the Moore County Sheriff's Office, deputies and the Dumas Fire Department responded to that pipeline explosion.
Officials said the line has been shut down but residual gas is still in the area.
Deputies have closed FM 722 from Stalwitz Rd. to FM 2589. They said the road may be closed for the next several hours.
No injuries were reported.
Jun 7, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/one-killed-in...
One killed in explosion at NLC plant in TN
Press Trust of India | Neyveli(TN) Last Updated at June 9, 2019 22:35 IST
One person was killed and two others seriously injured in an explosion at a thermal power unit of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) here Sunday, police said.
The NLC worker identified as Velmurugan of Periyakapankulam died after the safety valve of the second thermal power unit exploded, they said.
The injured have been admitted to the Neyveli government hospital, they added.
A case has been registered and investigation is on.
Jun 9, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8197
At least 9 injured in gas explosion near Rome
ROME - A gas explosion at a building housing the town hall of Rocca di Papa, 25 kilometres southeast of Rome, left at least nine people injured, including mayor Emanuele Crestini, who has extensive burns to the face and arms, ANSA reported Monday.
The explosion also affected nearby nursery school Leonida Montanari, leaving three children injured. One of them was taken to a hospital with severe injuries, but his life is not in danger, health commissioner Alessio D'Amato said in a statement.
Initial information from the fire brigade suggested that the explosion occurred due to a gas leaking caused by workers who chopped through a gas main in the street. The explosion destroyed the facade of the municipality building and threw glass and masonry toward the nursery school, which injured the children.
After the incident, residents were evacuated and the area was sealed off, sources told the Italian news agency.
Still according to ANSA, prosecutors have opened a probe into ‘culpable disaster’ and culpable grievous bodily harm (GBH) against person or persons unknown.
Natural gas distributer Italgas issued a statement blaming a third party for the explosion, The Australian reported. The distributer has not revealed which company would have been responsible for the incident.
Jun 12, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
A Hydrogen Station in Norway Blows Up, Truth is Among the Victims
In the fight against global warming, we need all the technologies and ideas we can get. What we don’t need are battery vs. fuel cell holy wars.
Regrettably, one of Norway’s three hydrogen fuel stations blew up on Monday (thankfully, without a loss of life or limb.) Even more regrettably, the incident puts (harrumph) new fire under the hard to understand hate campaign against a promising solution in the battle against global warming.
First, the facts. On Monday, 6/11/2019 at 5:40 pm local, the Uno-X hydrogen station in Sandvika in Bærum, Norway, exploded. Nobody was harmed, except for two people who received minor injuries when the airbags in their cars deployed – possibly triggered by the blast. Video here. The cause of the eruption is unknown, and under investigation. Norway’s major Aftenposten daily says it was “probably a hydrogen tank that exploded.” Even that isn’t 100% sure yet.
For sure the incident is hard on the few owners of FCV vehicles in Norway and Europe. According to public data, some 160 hydrogen FCVs have been registered in Norway, 102 of them in the region served by the Uno-X station in Sandvika. The remaining 52 also are out of hydrogen gas, because Uno-X closed all its three hydrogen stations it has in Norw... Uno-X is a chain of discount gas stations. Their sales of gasoline and diesel remain unaffected.
So far, the biggest impact of the explosion is on Norway’s FCV drivers, who don’t know where to fuel-up. According to media reports, Toyota will supply its Norwegian FCV customers with loaners. The only companies selling FCVs in Norway are Toyota and Hyundai, and the enthusiasm for their hydrogen-powered cars is limited. Toyota sold all of 7 (seven) FCV Mirai in Norway this year, Hyundai is ahead of Toyota with 21 (twenty-one) FCVs sold since January 1st. Both OEMs are reported to have stopped their FCV sales – in Norway.
“Hydrogen station explodes, Toyota halts sales of fuel cell cars, is this the end?”
Along with Insideevs and Cleantechnica, Electrek is at the forefront of Tesla’s crusade against allegedly biased and misleading reporting. Their article is a lesson on how to do misleading. It comes with one of the most stupid infographics around, attempting to show the superiority of battery over fuel-cell with the “electric moter” (sic) of a car directly powered from sunshine.
The story itself banks on the common ADD sufferer not reading beyond the headline, and on Twitter doing the dirty work, which it does.
I called Toyota’s Tokyo HQ, and their spokesperson Kayo Doi confirmed that “Toyota Norway has temporarily suspended Mirai deliveries as refueling is currently not possible in the country. Toyota Norway will support any inconvenienced Mirai owner with the loan of another vehicle should they need it.” As far as halting sales of fuel cell cars go, Ms. Doi told me that sales of their Mirai FCV in other markets are unaffected. Which also should answer whether “this is the end.” It is not.
Jun 12, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.koco.com/article/one-injured-in-pipeline-explosion-in-g...
One injured in pipeline explosion in Grady County, officials say
Updated: 12:55 PM CDT Jun 18, 2019
A person has been taken to a hospital after a natural gas pipeline explosion Tuesday in Grady County, according to officials with the Grady County Fire Department.
The explosion was reported in the area of County roads 2890 and 1420, east of Ninnekah.
Fire officials said the pipeline operator has been contacted and is in the process of shutting down the pipeline. There is no immediate danger to the public.
Jun 19, 2019
M. Difato
Huge explosion at Philadelphia oil refinery shakes homes in N.J.
https://www.nj.com/south/2019/06/huge-explosion-at-philadelphia-oil...
A large explosion at an oil refinery in South Philadelphia early Friday (June 21, 2019( shook homes across the Delaware River in New Jersey.
The blast occurred around 3:20 a.m. at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery on Passyunk Avenue, city officials said. No injuries have been reported, though the extent of the damage and the cause of the explosion is unclear. Residents in South Jersey and Delaware County, Pennsylvania reported feeling the explosion.
Earlier, a part of the Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76) was closed, but it has since been re-opened, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said in a series of tweets.
Firefighters were still battling the blaze as of 7 a.m.
Residents in the surrounding area had been asked to stay in their homes but the shelter-in-place has been narrowed to to 26th Street to the west, Schuylkill Expressway to the north, Interstate 95 to the south, and 22nd Street to the east due to smoke and firefighting equipment in the area.
PES is the largest refinery on the Eastern seaboard. It produces about 335,000 barrels - 14 million gallons - of crude oil per day. It is comprised of two refineries - Girard Point and Point Breeze.
~
Jun 21, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/europe/suspected-gas-line-explosion-vi...
Suspected gas line explosion in Vienna seriously injures at least two people
June 26, 2019, 1:11 PM EDT
A suspected gas-line explosion injured at least 12 people, two of them seriously, and partially collapsed an apartment building in Vienna on Wednesday, police said.
The blast happened at 4:30 p.m. local time, on Pressgasse Street in the center of the Austrian capital, authorities said.
The aftermath of partial building collapse in Vienna, Austria, on June 26, 2019.Erich Ulrich via Reuters
"In explosion in the Pressgasse, at least 4 people were seriously injured, and multiple people lightly," according to an initial statement by Vienna police. "The area is widely closed off. Please stay away!"
That injury figure was later adjusted to two serious injuries and 10 with minor wounds, police said.
At least 22 apartments, with 44 residents registered to those units, have been damaged by the explosion, officials said. More than 100 firefighters and 50 officers are on the scene and two buildings have been evacuated, police said.
The explosion came as the city was already dealing with unseasonably hot weather. The mercury soared to the 95 in Vienna on Wednesday and was expected to be in the 90s again on Thursday.
“Vienna is going through a crazy heat wave right now, so there's already been sort of an emergency response in other areas so it was already a crazy day before this happened," neighborhood resident Leora Courtney-Wolfman told NBC News.
Courtney-Wolfman, a 34-year-old Canadian expatriate, was on her way home to a flat about 200 yards from the blast when the neighborhood shook.
“Just the fact that I could have been there. We had guests visiting with us just last week and they walked up and down that street," she said.
Jun 27, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2000915/1-one-killed-15-injured-gas-ex...
One killed, 15 injured in gas explosion in Lahore
Published: June 27, 2019
LAHORE:
A man was killed while 15 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a bakery due to gas leakage in the area of Ichra.
All injured were shifted to a hospital where two people are reported to be in critical condition. Police officials said that a blast occurred in the morning in a private bakery located in Ferozepur Road due to gas leakage.
As a result, the entire bakery was destroyed in the explosion. Police and Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured to hospital in critical condition.
Jun 27, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://us.blastingnews.com/news/2019/07/explosion-in-a-florida-mal...
Explosion in a Florida mall destroys local businesses, leaves at least 21 injured
July 7, 2019 at 7:59 AM
The blast happened in the city of Plantation. Its cause could be gas leakage from a pipeline since firefighters found damaged gas pipes.
An explosion in a Florida mall took place at around 11.30am local time at a shopping plaza in Broward County of central Florida. The explosion destroyed a restaurant that had been out of business for quite some time. An adjacent gym also suffered damage. The blast left at least 21 people injured, none of them suffered life-threatening injuries. The pizza restaurant became a mound of rubble and many nearby businesses felt the impact with debris flung into the air causing consequential damage to nearby properties.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered broken gas pipes. The authorities remained tight-lipped about the cause of the explosion.
Sky News quotes a witness as saying he initially thought the blast to be thunder but soon the building began to shake. In his words – “it was almost like the world was ending.” Another witness talked about a flash of light that lit up the sky while yet another said it resembled an apocalypse. The force of the blast sent remnants of the building flying in all directions damaging some cars parked nearby.
The explosion remains a mystery
The police indicated injuries to at least 21 people and assured that none of those were life-threatening. The explosion destroyed a restaurant in Florida that had closed down some months back and blew out the windows of a gym.
This was located at the shopping plaza in Broward County. There were people in the gym at the time and the result of the explosion could have been more serious. As an official of the Plantation fire department said, "Thank goodness, at this point, nobody was killed. As bad as it is, it could have been a lot worse.”
Sky News adds that teams of firefighters searched the rubble with the help of sniffer dogs to ensure that there was no one trapped underneath the rubble.
Gas explosion suspected
According to CNN, the explosion in a shopping mall in Florida has taken the authorities by surprise. Plantation Fire Department indicated in the initial stages about investigating the possibilities of this being a gas explosion. However, they later backtracked and said more work is required to establish the exact cause. Plantation Fire Deputy Chief Joel Gordon admitted that there was evidence of an active gas leak at the scene when firefighters arrived after receiving a report of an explosion.
Police have completed a search of the blast zone and confirmed there were no fatalities and all the victims have been located. The injured were shifted to hospitals. The location of the incident appears to be in a corner of the mall complex at the intersection of two buildings. Witnesses mentioned a chaotic scene following the explosion, with shattered windows and scattered debris all over the place. Plantation police said that all stores and businesses in the area will remain closed until further notice.
That clearance will be given by fire personnel after confirming that it is safe to return.
Jul 8, 2019
jorge namour
The flames consume a thermoelectric power station near the Russian capital
JULY 11 2019
https://actualidad.rt.com/galerias/320809-llamas-consumen-central-t...
A strong fire has broken out this Thursday at a thermoelectric plant located in the Russian municipality of Mytishchi, Moscow region. According to the Ministry of Emergencies, at least one person has died and thirteen have been injured. According to the preliminary version, a gas leak caused the fire. In addition, the flames have been extended to the administrative building and a warehouse of the plant.
Jul 11, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.10news.com/news/explosion-rocks-murrieta-home-kills-gas...
Explosion rocks Murrieta home, kills gas line worker
MURRIETA, Calif. (KGTV) - A gas company worker died and 15 people were injured Monday after a home exploded and caught fire in Murrieta, officials said.
The explosion happened just after noon in a residential area of the Riverside County city near the intersection of Clinton Keith Road and Smith Ranch.
Murrieta Fire crews went to the home on Wooden Horse Trail about 11 a.m. due to a report of a ruptured gas line and a gas leak, said Murrieta deputy fire Chief David Lantzer.
The explosion happened just after noon, sending 15 people to the hospital. One SoCal Gas worker died.
"We are incredibly saddened that we have a loss of one of our employees today," said SoCal Gas public information officer Randon Lane.
Firefighters fought flames for about two hours after the blast. The area was closed to residents, Murrieta Police reported.
Jul 16, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Another-Massive-Gas-Expl...
Another Massive Gas Explosion Rocks China, Casualties Unknown
Jul 19, 2019, 10:30 AM CDT
A massive explosion has been reported at China’s Yima gas plant in Henan province, damaging buildings in a 3-kilometer radius.
The casualties are still unknown as of the time of reporting, with some media citing Chinese television as saying that 18 people had so far been reported as injured, a dozen missing and possibly two confirmed fatalities.
Stills taken from Chinese television show giant plumes of smoke in the aftermath of the explosion.
According to AFP news agency reporters in Beijing, the explosion took place on Friday at 5:45pm local time in the air separation unit at the Yima gas factory and did not hit the gas tank areas.
Local authorities report that all production has been halted at the plant.
AFP reports two people missing and many injuries as emergency services scramble to contain the scene.
"Many windows and doors within a three-kilometre radius were shattered, and some interior doors were also blown out by the blast," state broadcaster CCTV said on its Twitter-like Weibo social media account, as reported by ChannelNewsAsia.
The situation is still developing, but is reminiscent of a string of recent and historical disasters of a similar nature in China.
In March, dozens were killed in an explosion at a Chinese chemical plant. Nearly 80 people were killed in the explosions, and hundreds of others were injured. Over 20 people were reportedly detained by authorities in the aftermath of this explosion, which was supposed to have prompted a nationwide inspection of chemical firms.
In August 2015, a warehouse handling hazardous chemicals in the city of Tianjin exploded, killing at least 165 people. The company that owned the warehouse did not have legal permission to handle the hazardous chemicals.
Drone footage of that photo taken by Chinese TV showed a massive crater caused by the toxic explosion.
Jul 19, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.news.com.au/world/pacific/gas-explosion-in-christchurch...
Gas explosion in Christchurch injures six and destroys house
A house has been completely destroyed in Christchurch following a major gas explosion which saw at least six people seriously injured.
July 19, 20192:38pm
Several people have been hospitalised after a house exploded in New Zealand this morning, leaving the building completely destroyed.
Residents in the Christchurch suburb of Northwood reported hearing the deafening gas explosion about 10.20am local time.
When firefighters and police arrived there was nothing left of the house but rubble, with New Zealand police describing the incident as “serious”.
Initial reports suggest six people were taken to hospital, with injuries ranging from serious to critical.
People that were in the house at the time of the explosion reportedly suffered serious burn and blast injuries.
Fifty residents were also evacuated from the area by emergency services.
Footage of the aftermath revealed the complete destruction left behind by the explosion.
Hardly any part of the home was left standing and what was left was engulfed in flames.
Debris was sent flying 100 metres, littering the roofs and backyards of the surrounding houses.
James Looyer, who filmed the aftermath of the explosion, toldStuff.co.nz he had to help pull people from the rubble.
“We shot around there, peeked over the fence and … the people [were] just hanging out of the woodwork and all the framing of the house. We just hopped the fence, and pulled all the wood off and dragged them out of there pretty much,” he said.
“We were trying to talk to them and they were just stone cold … they [couldn’t] even hear anything we were saying, just looking straight at us.”
He told the publication that one woman he helped had the skin completely ripped off her feet.
Another local resident, Angus Hendry, told the publication that he went inside the house while it was still burning to help rescue people.
“They were in, I hope, surprisingly good shape, given the condition of the house. We just got them out, they looked in quite a bit of shock, had burns and stuff,” he said.
“It was just a lot of rubble … the house is no longer a house, it’s half a house.”
Other nearby houses had been partially destroyed, windows had been blown out and garage doors had been ripped off.
A worker at a nearby hotel told the New Zealand Herald the explosion was so loud it was like a bomb had gone off.
“It was more than an earthquake, you’d think a bomb had gone off,” she said.
“We’ve had housing insulation raining down on our property so something’s obviously had quite a large explosion.”
The city of Christchurch is still on edge just four months after a gunman killed 51 people and injured dozens of others after opening fire on a mosque.
There is no indication that this explosion had any wider security indications.
Jul 19, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2019/07/19/two-...
Gov. Evers declares state of emergency as thousands in Madison are without power after explosion, fires at substations
Published 8:30 a.m. CT July 19, 2019
MADISON - Just under 6,000 people in Madison remain without power in the middle of a heatwave after an explosion and fires broke out at two Madison Gas and Electric power stations Friday.
Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency in Madison and Dane County.
“With the power outages and the extreme heat, I have directed all state agencies to provide assistance and authorized Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, to activate the National Guard to assist local authorities if needed. Keeping folks safe remains our top priority as we continue to manage and respond to this situation.”
Black smoke filled the sky over Madison's isthmus and knocked out power across downtown, closing streets and snarling traffic.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway warned downtown Madison residents mid-day power might not be restored by nightfall.
MG&E president and CEO Jeff Keebler said a mechanical issue likely caused the first and larger fire in a substation across the street from a generating plant just off East Washington Avenue — a main thoroughfare on Madison's isthmus.
“We don’t know whether the fire caused the explosion or the explosion caused the fire," Keebler said at a news conference.
The cause of the second fire at a substation not owned by MG&E near the University of Wisconsin-Madison's campus is unknown.
Keebler said the company is conducting a damage assessment but hopes to restore power within hours.
As of 1 p.m., just under 6,000 people were still without power on what is likely to be the hottest day of the year. That was down from about 12,000 earlier in the day.
The temperature in Madison was forecast to hit 93 on Friday, with the heat index — what it feels like when the temperature is combined with humidity — forecast to be as high as 105 degrees.
But Keebler said MG&E officials had no reason to believe the cause of the fires were due to customers using air conditioners more than on cooler days.
Cooling centers are open across the city, including at the UW-Madison's Kohl Center.
Excessive heat is of particular concern at two assisted living facilities for senior citizens in downtown Madison.
Lisa Olsen, program and events manager at the Capitol Lakes Retirement Center, said the building has backup generators it is using for health services.The building was cool as of Friday morning, but workers said if the outage lasts six hours or more, residents could have problems with the heat.
"People are running around like crazy trying to help everyone who needs it right now," Olsen said. "We have staff checking on independent-living residents."
The mayor said taking care of people at the senior centers was a top priority and the city would move residents to other locations if necessary. State officials have offered to assist if help is needed, she said.
Rhodes-Conway told residents to treat intersections like four-way stops when traffic lights are out. She urged people to drink water and stay up to date by following news outlets and checking www.cityofmadison.com/poweroutage.
“You’ve got to stay cool, you've got to stay hydrated and you’ve got to stay connected," she said.
One UW Health's urgent care centers on Madison's east side was closed because of the power outage, according to UW Health spokeswoman Toni Morrissey.
Dane County relocated its 911 center because of the outage, but no 911 calls were missed, according to county officials.
The power outages prompted Gov. Evers to close state offices and the Capitol. City and Dane County closed many of their offices.
State government websites, including for the court filing system and the Department of Motor Vehicles, were down as of mid-day Friday.
The largest fire and explosion occurred at the substation at 702 E. Main Street, near East Washington Avenue. The substation is co-owned by MG&E and American Transmission Co., Keebler said.
The second fire was at a substation owned by ATC near UW-Madison's Ogg Hall. It was put out quickly.
UW-Madison spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said the fire did not affect campus buildings and power remained on throughout Friday.
Madison Fire Chief Steven Davis said 40 firefighters were sent to the downtown substation at about 7:40 a.m. It took 15 to 20 minutes to "de-energize" the substation and after that the fires was put out in five to seven minutes using foam, he said.
Firefighters are investigating the cause in conjunction with MG&E, he said
Jul 19, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-49307323
Explosion at Holyhead aluminium powder plant
Aug 10 2019
Fire crews were sent to the scene of an explosion at an aluminium powder plant on Anglesey on Saturday evening.
Locals reported hearing a loud bang and seeing a plume of white smoke after the explosion at the AMG Alpoco plant in Holyhead shortly after 18:00 BST.
An explosion at the same site closed the A5 London Road in June 2015.
North Wales Fire and Rescue, North Wales Police and the ambulance service all sent vehicles to the scene of the incident.
Aug 11, 2019
Tracie Crespo
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/08/25/massive-gas-explosion-d...
Massive gas explosion decimates Maryland shopping center
An office and shopping center were partly destroyed in a blast seemingly caused by a gas leak in Columbia, Maryland, early Sunday morning, according to officials.
The explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. ET, just 30 minutes after first responders received a call about a possible gas leak, according to Howard County Fire and Emergency Services.
The explosion seemed to occur at a building that houses a Social Security office and a dental practice, according to NBC Washington. The business are located in the middle of a popular shopping area.
The blast also triggered a power outage in the area, with several nearby businesses losing electricity.
No one was hurt in the explosion, according to Ball.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company said in a statement that a crew member was on site working with the fire department the blast occurred.
"BGE crews have turned off gas service and are currently working closely with the fire department," the utility company said on Twitter. "Once it is safe to do so, BGE will investigate the cause of the incident."
Aug 26, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.ibtimes.com/explosion-rocks-firecracker-factory-leaving...
Explosion Rocks Firecracker Factory Leaving 23 Dead
09/05/19 AT 10:12 AM
Twenty-three people were killed and 14 others injured in a large explosion at a firecracker factory Wednesday in northern India, according to police.
The blast, which took place in Gurdaspur in the northern state of Punjab in India, gutted a building that was being used to manufacture firecrackers in a residential part of the city, as reported by CNN.
According to inspector general Surinderpal Singh Parmar, the explosion and ensuing blaze were so fierce that it led to the collapse of the factory building.
"We are trying to figure out the cause. Police, firefighters and disaster management personnel are at the site looking for any extra bodies in the debris," Parmar said on Wednesday.
The National Disaster Response Force launched search and rescue operations Wednesday afternoon and finished overnight. By Thursday, a forensic team had begun working on the site and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion.
said the blast was so strong that it shattered the windows and collapsed some walls of nearby buildings. A few pedestrians in the area at the time of the explosion were also injured
Punjab's chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh said in a tweet that he had ordered a magisterial probe into the blast
Parmar said that the firecracker manufacturers may have been operating illegally.
"They had not got the license renewed to make firecrackers since the last two years. It seems like a lapse on the part of the manufacturer," he said
Firecrackers and fireworks are widely used in India during festivals and celebrations, particularly around the biggest Hindu festival of Diwali which falls at the end of October this year.
However, accidents in manufacturing facilities are not uncommon in India. On Saturday, at least 12 people were killed and 58 injured after an explosion at a chemical factory in the western state of Maharashtra
and another:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/india-chemical-factory-explosion-...
India chemical factory explosion kills 12 people
Sept 1 2019
At least 12 people were killed and a further 58 injured after an explosion at a chemical factory in western India Saturday
The resulting fire at the factory in Dhule district, in the state of Maharashtra, has now been contained, while a search operation is ongoing, police told CNN.
Six people were initially believed to have been killed, but more bodies were found during the search operation, while some injured people died at hospital.
Sanjay Ahire, a senior police official, told CNN: "From our initial investigation it appears a boiler exploded which led to a massive fire in the factory."
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state government will provide compensation of 500,000 Indian rupees each (about $7,000) to the families of the deceased.
India's Home Minister, Amit Shah, tweeted: "Anguished to learn about the loss of lives due to explosion at a chemical factory in Dhule, Maharashtra, adding, "state govt is doing everything possible to assist the people in need. My condolences with the bereaved families. May injured recover soon."
Sep 6, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/at-least-one-killed-12-injure...
At Least One Killed, 12 Injured By Gas Cylinder Twin Blasts In Pakistan
Fri 06th September 2019 | 02:00 AM
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2019) At least one person was killed and twelve others injured by two blasts of gas cylinders in the Pakistani city of Quetta, local media reported on Thursday.
The first cylinder exploded inside a transport company office in the city's Kharotabad and Khaizi Chowk areas, and the second blast occurred already after the rescue brigade and police have arrived at the scene, the Geo tv broadcaster reported.
All those injured by the twin explosion - among them two police officers and multiple journalists� - have been transferred to a hospital, the media added
Sep 6, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.en24.news/fr/2019/09/several-explosions-at-georges-sand...
Several explosions at Georges Sand College in Bethune this Friday morning
At least 4 detonations were heard this Friday morning.
A large fire and police deployment has been underway since late morning in Bethune. Several bottles of gas allegedly exploded at Georges Sand College in Bethune. 4 detonations were heard around 11:30. A security perimeter is set up around Blaringhem High School. No injuries were to be deplored among college students who were a priori in a secure area, according to police officers on site. They try to reassure the parents who came in large numbers.
Additional information at 12h:
Collegians evacuated from the college are to be recovered at the sports hall of the rue de Lille in Bethune. Firefighters intervene on the college roof to control the fire. Work was apparently under way. Blaringhem High School, near the college, was evacuated for safety.
Additional information at 13h:
The 650 students and 70 staff were evacuated. The fire has been controlled. Everything returned to normal at 12:45. The sub-prefect of Bethune must specify the conditions of the incident that occurred at a building under construction.
Sep 6, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.poandpo.com/news/four-killed-after-explosion-and-fire-i...
Four killed after explosion and fire in ONGC gas plant near Mumbai
September 6, 2019
An Indian Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) gas processing plant in Uran, near Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra state, was hit by an explosion and huge fire on September 3 that killed the plant production supervisor and three security staff.
Three other security staff were injured in the fire and local police said 5,000 nearby residents were evacuated for a short time after the incident.
According to the Hindustan Times, senior company officials inspected the plant the following day to assess the damage and to investigate the causes.
An ONGC press statement said that on the morning of September 3 a strong hydrocarbon smell was reported at the Demineralised Water Plant (Oily Water Sewage Pit) and nearby security cabin, which is outside the main processing area. Plant personnel rushed to the site but a “major fire incident” then occurred.
Sep 6, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://thebulletin.org/2019/09/an-explosion-rocked-a-russian-resea...
An explosion rocked a Russian research facility known for housing the smallpox virus
September 16, 2019
An explosion Monday caused a fire at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, a biological research facility in Siberia known for being one of the two centers in the world housing samples of live smallpox virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is the only other place known to maintain live samples of the deadly pathogen.
According to the head administrator of Koltsovo city, where the research center, commonly called the Vector Institute, is located, the explosion occurred during scheduled maintenance work. The incident doesn’t pose a threat to the surrounding community, Nikolai Krasnikov told the Russian TASS news agency. According to TASS, there were no biohazard substances involved. One worker was injured and taken to a hospital with burns. Russia Today reported that emergency responders were treating the explosion and fire as a major incident, given the sensitive work of the Vector Institute.
The Vector Institute is known for producing top-notch epidemiological research. According to TASS, researchers recently wrapped up successful trials
on an Ebola vaccine earlier this year. Despite that reputation, there have been questions raised about the institute. A high-ranking Soviet bioweapons official who defected to the United States in the 1990s claimed that smallpox had been moved to the Vector Institute in order to conduct bioweapons research.
The world’s other smallpox repository, the CDC, has also faced questions about its safety processes and infrastructure. In 2016, USA Today published an investigation on failures at the centers, including a 2009 incident where scientists in biohazard suits could see light seeping into a decontamination chamber where workers who’d just done work with deadly pathogens were supposed to be doused in a chemical shower.
The last known smallpox outbreak was in 1977 and the World Health Organization declared the disease eradicated in 1980. The disease killed about 300 million people in the 20th century, and three in 10 people who contracted it died. Survivors were often left scarred and blind.
Monday’s blast follows relatively closely on the heels of another explosion at a Russian facility conducting high-tech and risky research. In August, an accident at a missile test site killed five nuclear scientists. US officials believe researchers at the site were working on a nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Sep 17, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.whig.com/article/20190916/AP/309169887
Propane blast kills firefighter, injures his brother, others
FARMINGTON, Maine (AP) — A fierce propane explosion leveled a newly constructed building after fire crews arrived to investigate the smell of gas Monday, killing one firefighter and injuring at least eight other people, including fellow firefighters, officials said.
The blast was so powerful it blew a vehicle across an intersection and damaged nearby buildings. Paper, insulation and building debris rained on the area.
The explosion shattered the two-story building that housed LEAP Inc., a nonprofit that serves people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, just a couple of months after it was finished.
"It's a war zone. It's just a mess," said Scott Landry, a member of the Farmington Town Select Board. "The building is gone."
The blast killed 68-year-old Fire Capt. Michael Bell and injured his brother, Fire Chief Terry Bell; five other firefighters; a maintenance worker for LEAP; and an ambulance worker, officials said.
Four of the firefighters were in the intensive care unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland, while the maintenance worker was being treated at a hospital in Boston, officials said. One firefighter and the ambulance worker were treated and released.
The blast hit around 8:30 a.m. in this town in western Maine, about 70 miles north of Portland.
Neighbors heard a thunderous boom that rattled homes and knocked pictures off walls. Flying paper and dust made it look as if a snowstorm had hit.
LEAP worker Lisa Charles, who lives down the street from the explosion site, was home with her kids when the blast startled the family.
She stepped outside to see debris falling from the sky and feared the worst for her colleagues.
"I know everybody in there. I thought for sure everybody was gone," she said. "They got a warning from the maintenance guy who was a hero for telling them to evacuate."
Kim Hilton, who works in the admissions department at the nearby University of Maine at Farmington, said she was frightened when her building shook.
"It felt like someone hit our building with a vehicle," she said.
Gov. Janet Mills — who is from Farmington and whose office said she knew the firefighter who died — ordered flags lowered to half-staff across the state. Mills also visited the scene and promised the state fire marshal's office will investigate.
"We're going to get to the bottom of as much as we possibly can to protect this community, to protect all other communities and make sure this doesn't happen again," she told reporters.
The 40-by-60-foot (12-by-18-meter) building, which served as the administrative offices for LEAP, opened eight to 10 weeks ago and wasn't yet fully staffed, Landry said.
The smell of gas was detected when the first workers arrived and the building evacuated before most workers had arrived for the day, he said.
Sep 17, 2019
Juan F Martinez
Explosion at Chemical Factory in CHINA September20, 2019
The force of the explosion caused glass panes to implode on people dwelling about 1 mile away. It resembled the power of a nuclear explosion, which occurred in a chemical factory.
https://www.facebook.com/100009353366420/videos/2434325566889198/Uz...
Sep 22, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
Alabama
https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2019/09/mobile-power-outage-lasts-an...
Power restored after explosion in downtown Mobile
An explosion at Mobile’s Government Plaza Tuesday left over 300 people stranded and multiple downtown buildings without power.
The source of the explosion is believed to be an underground transformer, although it’s not yet known what caused the incident. Eyewitnesses at the scene say a manhole cover outside of the Probate Court was sent flying. It landed a couple feet away and rolled back into the hole it covered.
None of the eyewitnesses said they witnessed the explosion, but many in downtown Mobile felt it. The explosion “shook downtown,” according to multiple sources at the scene. The power returned at about 9 a.m., according to Alabama Power. No injuries were reported and the buildings closest to the explosion evacuated.
The cause of the explosion is unknown at the moment.
Sep 25, 2019
Juan F Martinez
Residents told to stay indoors as INFERNO envelopes chemical plant in Rouen, France
Smoke rises from a fire at a factory of Lubrizol in Rouen, France, September 26, 2019, in this still image from video obtained via social media. © REUTERS / Blas Garcia Photography
Around 200 firefighters were called to the scene after the plant, operated by US multinational Lubrizol and owned by billionaire American investor Warren Buffett, caught fire in the early hours of Thursday.
https://www.rt.com/news/469654-france-rouen-fire-chemical-plant/
Sep 26, 2019
Juan F Martinez
Images of the strong explosions after a gigantic fire at the Lubrizol de Rouen chemical plant, Sept. 26.
Sep 28, 2019
Juan F Martinez
An explosion occurred on the Stolt Groenland, a 25,000-tonne, Cayman Island-flagged oil tanker, at the southern port of Ulsan at around 10:50 a.m. (0150 GMT), a coastguard official said. September 28, 2019
SEOUL/OSLO (Reuters) - A fire that spread across two oil tankers in a South Korean port injured 10 people on Saturday, coastguard and fire officials said, adding the blaze had largely been put out.
There were 25 sailors aboard, including Russians and Filipinos.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-accident-ship/fire-on...
Sep 28, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/politics-economics/429088-two-kille...
Two killed in Dubai gas explosion
Two people were killed and another two injured following an explosion inside a building in Dubai’s Al Mankhool area, according to local media reports.
Sources quoted by Gulf News said the deadly incident was caused by a cooking gas explosion.
The two deaths were confirmed on Sunday.
The newspaper added that one of the dead was a gas technician, while the other was a resident who was playing near the flat with his daughter when the explosion took place.
The two injured were a female resident and a second gas technician, both of whom were admitted to Rashid Hospital with severe burns. It remains unclear what their condition is.
“There was some problem in the gas pipeline as it wouldn’t work. So my sister had lodged a complaint,” the injured female’s brother was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“The two technicians came in the evening and as soon as they began checking the pipeline, the explosion occurred,” he added. “One technician and a resident who was playing with his daughter in the corridor died instantly. My sister and the other technician received 70 percent burns and are on the ventilator at Rashid Hospital.”
Dubai Police and other authorities have cordoned the building off and are investigating.
Sep 29, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://theanswertampa.com/news/world/gas-explosion-kills-9-injures...
Gas explosion kills 9, injures 10 in east China
International News
Sunday, October 13, 2019 8:37 AM EST
By The Associated Press, AP
BEIJING (AP) — Nine people were killed Sunday in a restaurant gas explosion in eastern China, reported state broadcaster CCTV.
The explosion gutted the restaurant and damaged neighboring shops in coastal Jiangsu province's Wuxi city.
CCTV reported that 10 others who were injured are in stable condition. Over 200 rescue workers have been dispatched to the scene.
An overpass collapsed last week in the same city, killing three people inside a car.
Jiangsu was the site of a massive chemical blast in March, when nearly 80 people died in one of China's worst industrial accidents in recent years.
Oct 15, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.wowt.com/content/news/2-employees-injured-in-Kansas-Car...
Cargill plant explosion injures 2 in Kansas, investigation underway
Thu 10:33 AM, Oct 17, 2019
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Two Cargill employees are being treated for burns after an explosion at a Cargill plant in Dodge City.
Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan says the explosion occurred early Thursday in a stand-alone building away from the main plant.
The two employees were the only people in the building. Their conditions were not immediately available.
Sullivan said the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
The plant stopped production for the day Thursday while the explosion is investigated. Sullivan said Cargill expected the plant to resume operations soon and said it will meet its commitments to customers.
Sullivan said the Dodge City protein facility employs 2,700 people.
Oct 18, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://abc13.com/explosion-at-northern-california-energy-facility-...
Nustar Energy
Explosion at NuStar energy facility in Northern California caught on camera
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 12:43PM
A witness shared a clip that shows a massive fireball created by the explosive chemicals. The roof of that container was sent flying in the air and floating back to the earth.
The fire prompted a hazardous materials emergency that led authorities to order about 12,000 people in two communities to stay inside with all windows and doors closed.
"This is a very dynamic, rapidly evolving situation,'' Capt. George Laing of the Contra Costa Fire Department said. He said authorities received numerous reports of explosions before the fire and that the flaming tanks "are releasing chemicals that are still burning."
Oct 18, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania/articles/2019-...
Row Home Explosion Sparks Fire That Spreads to 9 Other Homes
Authorities say an early morning house explosion in the eastern Pennsylvania city of Allentown blew off the front of the row home and led to a fire that spread to nine other homes, but no serious injuries were immediately reported.
Row Home Explosion Sparks Fire That Spreads to 9 Other Homes
Allentown fire officials said the blast was reported at 3 a.m. Sunday. One person initially unaccounted for was later found safe. One person was taken to a hospital for a minor injury and a firefighter was treated for a shoulder injury. Officials said more than two dozen people were displaced by the blaze.
Capt. John Christopher said crews were putting out hot spots but there was no longer an active fire. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Christopher said arriving crews didn't detect any odor of natural gas.
Oct 20, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.pmldaily.com/news/2019/10/fatal-one-dead-six-injured-in...
One dead, six injured at Banda factory explosion
October 24, 2019
Oct 25, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.wafb.com/2019/11/03/reported-explosion-plaquemine-chemi...
No injuries reported during explosion at Plaquemine chemical plant
PLAQUEMINE, La. (WAFB) - There was a reported explosion at the Dow Chemical plant in Plaquemine Sunday morning, according to the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. No injuries were reported, according to Dow Louisiana Operations.
The Iberville Parish Council says there is no immediate danger to the public.
WAFB received several calls from residents this morning about hearing a loud explosion just after 8 a.m. The explosion was heard and shook homes across the river in East Baton Rouge Parish.
About 10 miles away from the plant Thomas Argust was getting his day started, but the loud noise we now know was an explosion caught him off guard, “ It sounded like someone dropped a bowling ball in our house. When I went outside on the front porch, I looked around. I didn’t see anything in the sky.”
Posts on our WAFB Facebook page say the incident was felt as far away as Gonzales, Zachary, and Central.
Trudy Jackson lives about five miles away from the plant. She’s used to the occasional noises coming from the site, but this morning’s boom still caused her to pause, “It was like a crash. We thought it might have been something that hit the house. Or something going on with the dogs outside.”
According to Dow Louisiana Operations, a vessel ruptured at the site Sunday morning. The company stated there are no injuries and that officials are conducting air monitoring. Dow added the initial assessment does not appear to be an offsite impact other than the noise. The company also stated the production unit is stable.
Officials said leadership and the company’s response team is on-site walking through the unit. Dow added it is in direct contact with regulatory agencies and local community officials. Officials also said people will see steam from the unit as the company keeps the steam headers warm during the shutdown. The rest of the site continues to run safely with normal flaring, according to Dow.
The West Baton Rouge Parish Office of Homeland Security said it’s aware of the vessel rupture and that it’s in contact with Dow Chemical.
Nov 3, 2019
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.660citynews.com/2019/11/07/gas-line-explosion-fire-send...
Gas line explosion, fire sends one to hospital
Posted Nov 7, 2019 1:10 pm MST
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – One person is in hospital after a natural gas line explosion sparked a fire at a construction site in the city’s northwest.
Both fire and ATCO crews were on the scene for hours in Sage Hill–a community with a number of homes under development.
A propane tank that was in the area of the fire was singed, but it appears fire crews were able to push the fire back before the tank exploded.
The person rushed to hospital is in serious but stable condition
Nov 8, 2019