Explosions on the rise

[Kojima]

----------------------------------------------

An oil field exploded in Basra Iraq [Iraq Oil Report ; Published September 20, 2011]; Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

----------------------------------------------

List of comment about gas explosion, in order of posted time; as of 2011-09-01

 

1) SOMERVILLE, Ohio, US; "Investigation continues in house collapse"

2) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. US; "Bakersfield resident hurt in natural gas explosion"

3) Pompton Lakes, NJ, US; "Update: Suspected gas explosion levels home in Pompton Lakes [raw video]"

4) Brantford, Ontario, Canada; "Natural gas explosion levelled Brantford house: fire marshal"

5) Warren, MI, US; "City of Warren Home Explosion Underscores Need for Natural Gas Safety"

6) Castleford, West Yorkshire, UK; "Dramatic footage shows huge gas explosion at Yorkshire home"

7) Warren Park, Harare, Zimbabwe; "2 seriously injured in Warren Park gas explosion"

8) Logan City, south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia; "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house"

9) Herscher, IL, US; Douglasville, GA, US; "This Week In Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions – Aug. 22, 2011"

10) "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house" [See 8)]

11) Lakeview, MI, US; "Explosion inside Lakeview house causes fire, couple escapes with minor injuries"

12) Newborough, Victoria, Australia; "Gas blast destroys Newborough garage"

13) Cato, Montcalm, MI, US; "Couple escapes house explosion"

14) Glenrock, Converse, WY, US; "Oilfield explosion claims three"

15) St. Augustine, Fla, US; "Gas Station Explosion Site in St. Augustine now 'Stable'"

 

----------------------------------------------

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

We'll be seeing an uptick in unusual home and business gas explosions and I'm trying to locate specific ZT on the matter.  Below is a refresher for the many gas related news articles.

http://zetatalk5.com/index/blog0214.htm

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

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

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

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

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

http://www.zetatalk5.com/newsletr/issue008.htm

----------------------------------------------

[Original post on January 20, 2011]

Original title: Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/19/pennsylvania.gas.explosion/index.h...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The explosion occurred in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood
• The blast killed one utilities worker and injured five other people
• Some of the injuries are serious

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"They were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-explosion-philadelphia-...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-gas-main-explodes-126...

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.wcvb.com/amp/article/lexington-center-fire-massachusett...

Transformer explosion in Lexington Center sparks large fire, forces street closures
Updated: 6:05 AM EDT Aug 9, 2022

LEXINGTON, Mass. —
A transformer explosion sparked a multi-alarm fire in the Massachusetts town of Lexington on Monday.

The explosion resulted in a three-alarm fire in the 1700 block of Mass. Avenue, with thick, black smoke pouring into the air.

"I was shaking. I'm still shaking. It was terrifying," said witness Emerson Graf. "We started to hear scratching and little clicking noises and we just looked over and there was this giant explosion. We didn't know what happened. It was just insane. It was so loud."

The transformer fire led to streets in the Lexington Center area being closed to vehicle traffic. Police said they also closed the Minuteman Bikeway.

Lexington fire Chief Derek Sencabaugh said the substation where the transformer explosion happened belongs to Eversource Energy.

An Eversource spokesperson said the fire was reported just before 6 p.m. and that there were no power outages associated with it.

Firefighters poured water on the 16-foot transformer for about an hour, battling both the blaze and high temperatures.

On top of trying to keep the crews as cool as possible, Sencabaugh said another big concern was water getting into the switchers in the basement of the substation. Those switchers are more than 100 years old.

"Because if the water had come up, it would start popping switches, which would then pop manholes down the street. So we, initially, were really starting to push people out of the area," Sencabaugh said.

No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.

The cause of the transformer explosion remains under investigation. Sencabaugh said one possibility could be the high demand for electricity to power air conditioners given the high temperatures and humidity levels over the past several days.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2022/08/07/9-transported-hospital-a...

Nine transported to hospital after explosion at Vitro plant

One person in critical condition was airlifted to United Regional.

By KAUZ Digital Media Team

Published: Aug. 7, 2022 at 2:06 PM MDT|Updated: 2 hours ago

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Officials say nine employees at the Vitro plant in Wichita Falls were transported to the hospital following an explosion.

Wichita County Sheriff David Duke tells our crew that a gas leak occurred inside a portion of the plant. He says the leak was next to a burner which caused an ignition leading to an explosion.

Eight victims were transported by ambulance, while one was transported by Air Evac to United Regional, Duke says.

At this moment, officials say the affected portion of the plant has been evacuated while the Wichita Falls Fire Department monitors the situation.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/17-missing-dozens-injured-in-exp...

17 missing, dozens injured in explosive fire at Cuban oil storage facility hit by lightning

Updated on Aug 6, 2022 5:08 PM EDT — Published on Aug 6, 2022 2:51 PM EDT

HAVANA (AP) — A fire set off by a lightning strike at an oil storage facility raged uncontrolled Saturday in the city of Matanzas, where four explosions and flames injured nearly 80 people and left 17 firefighters missing, Cuban authorities said.

Firefighters and other specialists were still trying to quell the blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, where the fire began during a thunderstorm Friday night, the Ministry of Energy and Mines tweeted. The government said later that it had asked for help from international experts in “friendly countries” with experience in the oil sector.

Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said the U.S. government had offered technical help to quell the blaze. On his Twitter account, he said the “proposal is in the hands of specialists for the due coordination.”

Minutes later, President Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked Mexico , Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of help.

The official Cuban News Agency said lightning hit one tank, starting a fire, and the blaze later spread to a second tank. As military helicopters flew overhead dropping water on the blaze, dense column of black smoke billowed from the facility and spread westward more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) toward Havana.

Roberto de la Torre, head of fire operations in Matanzas, said firefighters were spraying water on intact tanks trying to keep them cool in hopes of preventing the fire from spreading.

The Facebook page of the provincial government of Matanzas said the number of injured had reached 77, while 17 people were missing. The Presidency of the Republic said the 17 were “firefighters who were in the nearest area trying to prevent the spread.”

Seven of the injured were taken to Calixto García Hospital in Havana, which has a prominent burn unit.

The accident comes as Cuba struggles with fuel shortages. There was no immediate word on how much oil had burned or was in danger at the storage facility, which has eight giant tanks that hold oil used to fuel electricity generating plants.

“I was in the gym when I felt the first explosion.  A column of smoke and terrible fire rose through the skies,” resident Adiel Gonzalez told The Associated Press by phone. “The city has a strong smell of sulfur.”

Authorities said about 800 people were evacuated from the Dubrocq neighborhood closest to the fire, while Gonzalez added that some people decided to leave the Versailles district, which is a little farther from the tank farm.

Many ambulances, police and fire engines were seen in the streets of Matanzas, a city with about 140,000 inhabitants that is on Matnzas Bay.

Diaz-Canel traveled to the area of the fire early Saturday, officials said.

Local meteorologist Elier Pila showed satellite images of the area with a dense plume of black smoke moving from the point of the fire westward and reaching east to Havana.

“That plume can be close to 150 kilometers long,” Pila wrote on his Twitter account.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://abc7chicago.com/boat-fire-spring-brook-marina-illinois-stat...

15 injured, 1 seriously after boat explodes during refueling on Illinois River, police say

By Maher Kawash and ABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Saturday, May 28, 2022 9:49PM

LASALLE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- Multiple people are injured after a boat exploded on the Illinois River in the southwest suburbs Saturday.

Conservation police, as well as state troopers, responded after reports of a boat fire on the Illinois River just before 4:30 p.m. at the Spring Brook Marina in LaSalle County, according to Illinois State Police.

Several families were on the boat, about to get ready to head out on the water when the boat exploded while they were fueling, conservation police said.

The vessel was apparently having engine problems and went to the marina to refuel. After refueling, they tried to restart the engine when there was an explosion, Sgt. Phillip Wire said.

The boat had 17 occupants and 13 were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. The victims range from "youth" to adults.

A man was also life flighted to an area hospital with serious injuries.

A marina employee was among those injured, officials said.

The boat is still in the water as officers work to contain the fuel. They plan to be back at the scene Sunday to remove it.

The incident comes as many people are celebrating the Memorial Day weekend.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources is investigating.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/short-circuit-at-arms-depot-led-...

Short-circuit at arms depot led to multiple explosions in Sialkot: Pakistan Army

WION Web Team

NEW DELHI Published: Mar 20, 2022, 12:14 PM(IST)

The explosion is suspected to have occurred at an ammunition depot in an area controlled by the Pakistan Army. Photograph:( Twitter )

The sound of the blast was reportedly heard near the cantonment area in the Punjab province.

The Pakistan Army on Sunday said that an unintended fire broke out at an ammunition shed near Sialkot Garrison on Sunday, resulting in many explosions in the area.

Ary News quoted the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as claiming that an unintentional fire broke out in a munitions shed near Sialkot Garrison owing to short-circuiting. 

"Due to an effective and timely response, the damage was immediately contained and the fire has been extinguished. No damage to property or loss of life, "the Pakistan military’s media wing said.

An explosion was heard in the city of Sialkot earlier today.

According to media reports, the sound of the explosion was apparently heard near the cantonment region in Punjab province. 

The video footage of the explosions immediately went viral on social media.

The ISPR's statement came after reports of fires and explosions in the Sialkot area flooded social media. 

(With inputs from agencies)

[Nick Shanks]

https://www.wxyz.com/news/us-23-closed-in-both-directions-near-fent...

US-23 reopens after gas line rupture sends debris into road near Fenton

(WXYZ) — Crews are on the scene after a gas line ruptured near US-23 and Center Road in Tyrone Township on Wednesday morning. People in the area reported on social media that they heard a loud explosion this morning.

US-23 was closed for hours in both directions before reopening.

“They were cleaning the natural gas pipe. Ground started shaking. He took off running and it just blew. 50 feet in the air. Shook the whole building and blew up old 23,” said Rick Richardson of Woody's Towing. Consumers Energy says they have no reports of fire or injuries.

“The loud boom heard earlier is the result of an apparent break in a transmission line,” a spokesperson says.

We’re told there is no service being interrupted or danger to the community.

Consumers Energy is expected to provide more updates later today.

“Luckily, it didn’t catch fire. Pretty crazy. We are waiting for the call to scrape the road but haven’t gotten the call yet,” said Richardson.

The Fenton Twp. Fire Chief says people can safely leave their homes now after initially being told to stay in place. We're told gas is no longer leaking, and anyone with damage to a home or vehicle should file a report.

Old US 23 is also open for traffic.

[Tracie Crespo]

www.keweenawreport.com/featured/explosion-ensuing-fire-destroys-hou...

Explosion, ensuing fire destroy Houghton apartment building

Just as clocks sprung forward, an explosion rocked the Franklin Square area of downtown Houghton Sunday morning. Happening just after 3:00 AM, the blast led to a fire which subsequently destroyed an apartment complex next to the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce Office and Welcome Center.

Keweenaw Report spoke to Councilor Robert Megowan, a member of the Houghton Fire Department, and City Manager Eric Waara. They both say that no cause has been determined yet, but they could confirm that residents of the complex say a loud boom was heard right before the fire broke out.

It was severe enough to cause several cars in the parking lot at the front of the complex to also go up in flames.

Social media posts also suggest that an explosion occurred. All residents escaped and are accounted for.

Peter Mackin with the Salvation Army says that many residents are Michigan Tech students. University officials helped to address the immediate needs of those evacuated, namely clothing and footwear. Those who have been displaced will continue to be helped in the days and weeks ahead, including finding new living arrangements.

Multiple departments deployed to assist Houghton Fire. Keweenaw Report saw representatives from UPPCO and SEMCO, as well as the Hancock Fire Department. Ladder trucks used hoses to attack the fire from College Avenue in front of the building and East Lakeshore Drive from behind.

Hancock Fire truck in front of the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce

Mackin wished to express gratitude to McDonald’s of Houghton for providing coffee and breakfast to crews who responded to the blaze.

[Tracie Crespo]

https://youtu.be/lJlmPtY-74I

Huge explosion sends fireball soaring into the sky at a farm in Shropshire

Mar 12, 2022

THIS is the dramatic moment a huge explosion sends a fireball soaring into the sky. The destructive blaze today ripped through a barn on farmland near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, leaving a man seriously injured in hospital. Firefighters were scrambled to the scene in the village of Six Ashes at around midday to reports of flames. Witnesses described the "mad" moment the burning ball of gas swirled into the sky surrounded by dark plumes. Read more: Dramatic moment huge EXPLOSION sends fireball soaring into sky as destructive blaze rips through barn https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1792056...

[Tracie Crespo]

Explosion at gold mining site kills at least 63, injures dozens in West Africa: "Bodies everywhere"

UPDATED ON: FEBRUARY 22, 2022 / 12:06 PM / CBS/AP

A strong explosion near a gold mining site in southwestern Burkina Faso killed at least 63 people and injured more than 100 others Monday, the national broadcaster and witnesses reported.

"We have 63 dead and around 40 injured," the public prosecutor in the town of Gaoua, Alpha Compaore, told AFP.  

The blast in the village of Gbomblora was believed to have been caused by chemicals used to treat gold that were stocked at the site.

An explosion near a gold mining site in Burkina Faso killed dozens, the national broadcaster and witnesses reported.REUTERS

State television broadcast video showing bodies covered in sheets on the ground and wounded men at a hospital, Reuters reported.

"I saw bodies everywhere. It was horrible," Sansan Kambou, a forest ranger who was at the site during the explosion, told The Associated Press by phone.

The first blast happened around 2 p.m., with more explosions following as people ran for their lives, he said.

"When we arrived the bodies were scattered, so with the security personnel which came to reinforce, we had to secure the area and use volunteers to evacuate the bodies," Poni Province High Commissioner Antoine Sylvanus Douamba said, according to Reuters. "It was probably caused by explosives but how it happened, for the moment we don't know."

Burkina Faso is the fastest-growing gold producer in Africa and currently the fifth largest on the continent, with gold being the country's most important export. The industry employs about 1.5 million people and was worth about $2 billion in 2019.

Small gold mines like Gbomblora have grown in recent years, with some 800 across the country. Much of the gold is being smuggled into neighboring Togo, Benin, Niger and Ghana, according to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies.

The small-scale mines are also reportedly used by jihadis linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have staged attacks in the country since 2016. The groups reportedly raise funds by taxing miners, and also use the mine sites for recruiting fighters and seeking refuge.

Mining experts say the small-scale mines have fewer regulations than industrial ones and thus can be more dangerous.

"The limited regulation of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector contributes to increased risks that can be very dangerous, including the use of explosives which are often smuggled into the country and used illegally," said Marcena Hunter, senior analyst at Global Initiative, a Swiss-based think tank.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/burkina-faso-explosion-gold-mining-sit...

[Tracie Crespo]

https://www.wxii12.com/article/winston-salem-firefighters-on-north-...

Winston-Salem fire: Explosion feared at fertilizer plant, thousands of residents urged to evacuate

  

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

More than 6,000 residents within a one-mile radius of a Weaver Fertilizer Plant in Winston-Salem are being mandated to evacuate their homes for up to 48 hours after a massive fire at the facility erupted Monday night.

The fire was reported before 7 p.m. in the 4400 block of Cherry Street.

Authorities said Monday night that the fire is a volatile situation with a "fairly high" chance of an explosion.

Battalion Chief Patrick Grubbs, a 15-year veteran of the Winston-Salem Fire Department, shared an update with members of the media early Tuesday.

"We're asking everyone to stay out of this area and evacuate the scene," he said, adding that around 6,000 citizens live in the one-mile radius of the plant.

For residents of Winston-Salem, the evacuation line is not expected to expand at this time.

The Winston-Salem fertilizer plant stores 10 times more ammonium nitrate than there was at the time of the fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West Texas in April 2013, according to Mayor Allen Joines.

The blast in Texas nearly a decade ago killed 15 people and wiped out hundreds of homes was caused by a criminal act, investigators determined.

Emergency responders from around the Piedmont Triad, including the Greensboro and Lewisville fire departments, have been called in to help Winston-Salem crews.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation as crews can't get up close to the scene.

---

HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW:

• Emergency officials said air quality is going to be poor Tuesday. People are urged to stay away from any kind of strenuous activity or exercise.
• Authorities urge people to call 911 only in an emergency.
• North Hills Elementary School in Winston-Salem is within the evacuation zone and will not be opened Tuesday. North Hills will utilize remote learning as an option today. District officials said all other Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will operate normally, but parents should know that road closures could impact some bus routes and normal travel across the city. People near those areas to be aware buses could be slightly delayed today and that they may need to plan alternative routes to and from school as a precaution.
• Video posted by the city of Winston-Salem showed towering flames and heavy smoke, and people living within a one-mile radius of the plant were asked to evacuate after the fire reached a rail car holding explosive chemicals.
• No injuries have been reported from the fire.
• Firefighters battled the flames two hours before the rail car, which is filled with ammonium nitrate, became impacted, Grubbs said. Since then, all crews have been evacuated.
• A lone fire engine with no firefighter is spraying water at the scene, and drones are being used to assess the situation multiple times an hour.
• At least 150 first responders are helping with the fire, including fire, police and emergency management teams. Grubbs did not know how long crews would be on scene but said he wouldn't be leaving "anytime soon."

---

To alert people to evacuate, Grubbs said firefighters have been going door-to-door all night and driving fire trucks through neighborhoods with loudspeakers to make the announcement.

Evacuees are encouraged to report to the Education Building at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

Residents should be prepared to be away from their homes for up to 36 to 48 hours.

EVACUATIONS INCLUDE OFF-CAMPUS WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HOUSING:

Wake Forest students can go to the Wellbeing Center, Benson University Center and ZSR library. Students can bring a sleeping bag, pillow or blanket to be comfortable, university officials said.

University officials said they are working on long-term plans for those who don't have an alternative place to go.

Classes for Wake Forest students have been canceled for Tuesday.

---

EVACUATIONS INCLUDE FORSYTH COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY:

Authorities evacuated offenders housed at the Forsyth County Correctional Facility overnight due to the fire. It's unclear at this time where the inmates are being transferred.

NBC affiliate WRAL contributed to this report