A central Missouri gas pipeline exploded into a burst of flames Sunday morning, and the cause is being investigated by officials.
Occurring along a Missouri highway, the pipeline owned by the Dallas-based Panhandle Eastern Pipeline ruptured and took 40 minutes to be extinguished, according to the Audrain County’s Sheriff Office in a post. (RELATED: US Lawmakers Officially Condemn Russia’s Natural Gas Pipeline Into Germany)
You can watch the video, taken by a member of the Sheriff’s department, here.
Happening near Mexico, Missouri, which is 120 miles away from St. Louis, the rupture did not cause any injuries but resulted in the loss of power for some nearby homes.
The explosion reportedly blew debris into the air resulting in the Missouri highway to be closed until the road is evaluated and repair workers to replace several utilities. The highway is estimated to reopen on Tuesday. (RELATED: Trump Signed Executive Actions On The Keystone XL Pipeline Two Years Ago. It’s Still Not Built)
“The Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank all agencies involved,” said the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office, “including Audrain County 911 (who were inundated with calls for the better part of an hour) for their rapid response and actions to contain and control this situation.”
Panhandle Eastern Pipeline is owned by billionaire Kelcy Warren’s Energy Transfer LP, which has faced legal and political challenges. In particular, Energy Transfer has had opposition to its Dakota Access Pipeline and its delay of the Bayou Bridge oil line in Louisiana.
Additionally, this gas explosion was not the first, as Warren’s company had a fire on a gas gathering line in Pennsylvania that forced the evacuation of nearby homes. (RELATED: We Travelled Out To The Middle Of The Bayou, And We Found Anti-Pipeline Investigators Living In Trees)