A big gas pipeline explosion has left 15 people injured, throwing off a 60 meter twirl of fire up in the air at Fresno County Sheriff’s gun range, where a construction crew inclusive of jail inmates were handling heavy machinery.
The cause of the explosion has not been determined by authorities although it is known that jail inmates had been a part of the crew in charge of conducting some construction work with heavy machinery at the site. According to witnesses, 200 feet of flames were coming out of the area.
A spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said that there is a possibility that the crew may have hit a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. pipe conveying natural gas which caused the accident. Botti also said that no law enforcement officers had been injured in the accident.
It has been informed by the medical authorities that 4 patients are undergoing treatments at the Community Regional Medical Centers and 3 of them are in a critical situation. Spokeswoman Mary Lisa Russell said that one had been admitted to the burn and trauma unit due to serious conditions.
4 other patients are undergoing treatment at St. Agnes Hospital while 3 more are recovering in Madera Community Hospital. 4 another victims who had suffered minor injuries had been treated and released at the scene at Fresno County Medical Services according to Dan Lynch, Fresno County Medical Services Director.
11 inmates have been injured in this accident with 3 of them taken to Fresno County Jail as they hadn’t been hospitalized, informed the Sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Margaret Mims informed that country workers and inmate crews usually work at the shooting range building beams and carrying out basic maintenance.
It has been verified by the Fire Department that a 12-inch diameter PG&E pipeline has been ruptured when a front loader had been working the site. It still remains uncertain if the vehicle had been digging before the explosion or not. The operator of the heavy machinery had been carried out of the scene by a helicopter in a critical condition, reports the Fire Department.
“We do not have definitive information,” PG&E stated as the company expressed condolences to those injured.
The PG&E crew turned off the gas lines and the firefighters had been able to put out the flames fast. The residences in the vicinity were not evacuated due to the explosion.
A major travel route in California, Highway 99 had been shut down for 3 hours in both directions as reported by the Highway Patrol at 2:30 pm. A rail service close by had also been stopped.