Tens of Meters High Flames... Evacuation Order Issued for Residents After Gas Pipeline Explosion in the US

Evacuation Order Issued and Nearby Roads Closed
Investigation Underway into Explosion Cause and Accident Details

A gas transportation pipeline exploded in Texas, USA.

An underground pipeline used for transporting oil and gas exploded in La Porte, located 40 km southwest of Houston, Texas, USA.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 16th (local time), foreign media including the AP reported that at around 9:55 a.m., an underground pipeline laid for transporting oil and gas exploded in La Porte, about 40 km southwest of Houston, Texas.

Houston, the center of the U.S. petrochemical industry, is known for its concentration of refineries and pipelines. The explosion damaged 100 houses within a radius of 0.8 km. Videos shared on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) show huge bright red flames shooting up tens of meters high at the scene.

A pipeline buried underground for transporting oil and gas exploded in La Porte, located 40 km southwest of Houston, Texas, USA.
[Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

Currently, evacuation orders have been issued to nearby residents, and schools have been closed. Surrounding roads have been shut down, and electricity supply has been cut off to thousands of households. Fire authorities are working to extinguish the fire, but the flames are so intense that it is difficult to approach. Authorities have shut off the flow in the pipeline, but there is still a large amount of gas remaining inside, making it difficult to take special measures until all the gas burns off. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported, but one firefighter was injured while working on the extinguishing efforts.

An underground pipeline used for transporting oil and gas exploded in La Porte, located 40 km southwest of Houston, Texas, USA.
[Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

The city authorities have not yet determined the cause of the explosion and have not confirmed what materials were flowing through the pipeline. They also added that a decision on how to close the pipeline has not been made. However, there are no indications that the incident was related to terrorist activities.