Residents of Houstonia, Missouri were woken up to the sight of a fireball emerging from a nearby pipeline. The Sedalia explosion happened around 1:00 am. Firefighters and first responders were able to control the blast and put out the fire on the pipeline by 2:30 am.
No injuries or fatalities were reported as a result of the explosion, but nearby structures were damages by fire. The Sedalia explosion also caused the evacuation of a few homes around the area for precaution. A rupture in the gas line was the immediate cause of the blast, causing homes nearby to shake with the impact. The fireball that resulted could be seen from 30 miles away. The Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company quickly sprang into action to reroute the flow of natural gas, which was what was contained in the pipeline, to prevent further damage and continue daily operations.
The Pettis County Sheriff Kevin Bond reported that some buildings were still on fire by 3:15 am. Emergency responders worked hard to contain the flames and the residents who were previously evacuated were eventually let back into their home. Panhandle is still conducting an investigation into the cause of the rupture.
This wasn't the first pipe to explode for the Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company. In 2008, an event similar to the Sedalia explosion happened in Cooper County. Panhandle attributed the rupture of the pipe to corrosion. About $1 million in damage was incurred at the time, and the flames from the blast were witnessed from as far away as 70 miles in all directions.
While no injuries of fatalities were reported from the Sedalia explosion, the surrounding areas would have to be warded off for safety reasons. Fortunately, the immediate area surrounding the explosion was not residential which attributed to the lack of injuries and fatalities.
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