A liquefied gas facility has exploded near downtown Dallas, TX. Everyone within a half-mile radius has been evacuated by authorities and Interstates 30 and 35 have temporarily been shut down. Explosions at Southwest Industrial Gases Inc. continued for over half and hour and it took fire crews over three hours to put out the flames. So far, three people have been reported injured, and dozens of nearby vehicles have been damaged. About 30 buildings near the blasts were without power and would stay that way until fire crews fully extinguished the blaze.
The accident occurred around 9:30 am and involved a malfunctioning connector used to join acetylene tanks during the filling process. Environmental Protection Agency emergency responders were on the scene, and the US Chemical Safety Board has sent in a team of investigators.
