BEAUMONT, Texas — Two eruptions at a chemical plant within thirteen hours of each other caused injuries to employees of the plant and people who lived nearby, as well as causing substantial property damage up to several miles away from the epicenter of the two blasts. The explosions forced the governor of Texas, in conjunction […]
Two Explosions Rock Port Neches
BEAUMONT, Texas — Two eruptions at a chemical plant within thirteen hours of each other caused injuries to employees of the plant and people who lived nearby, as well as causing substantial property damage up to several miles away from the epicenter of the two blasts. The explosions forced the governor of Texas, in conjunction with local law enforcement and municipal authorities, to order residents to seek shelter in their homes if they were not evacuated according to the Beaumont Enterprise. Firefighters toiled mightily as the chemical fire raged for hours. The firefighters struggled to contain the flames to the areas that had already burst, but they were ultimately successful in their task. The causes of the eruptions are under investigation, and authorities have not determined a cause to this point.
The initial eruption from the chemical plant happened around 1:00 a.m. Authorities said that a processing unit at the facility burst. The blast and subsequent fire showered debris in the area. Several workers sustained injuries in the explosion and required emergency medical treatment at nearby hospitals.
The second explosion at the plant, which happened around 1:45 p.m., sent a tower in the plant crashing to the ground. Local authorities announced that they would begin evacuating homes because of the threat that the other tanks at the plant would ignite. Fortunately, that did not happen. Firefighters focused their efforts on preventing additional explosions while allowing the fire to burn itself out essentially.
The two units that erupted in flames contained a chemical identified as butadiene. Butadiene is a component of synthetic rubber. The chemical is hazardous to the environment. Consequently, federal and state environmental authorities monitored the air quality to determine if chemicals were emitted into the air after the explosions.
Residents eventually received permission to re-enter their homes and begin cleaning up the debris from the two blasts. The extent of the injuries and property damage is not known at this time.
