On the morning of Friday, November 23rd, a pipeline explosion at the Waha Gas Plant near Coyanosa, Texas took place.
The explosion was said to have happened at approximately 10 a.m. on Friday.
Fort Stockton and Imperial Fire Departments were sent to respond to the fire that started as a result of 24-inch pipeline exploding. Unfortunately, two individuals were injured. One individual was transported to UMC in Lubbock and another taken to Ward County Hospital.
Firefighters fought the blaze for hours before finally containing it around 12:30 in the afternoon.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are over 450,000 individuals employees in the oil and gas extra and support industries. Unfortunately, these are some of the most hazardous industries to work in, with the oil and gas industry responsible for more deaths from fires and explosions than any other private industry. Additionally, between 2009 to 2014, it accounted for 10 percent of all workplace fatalities from fires and explosions despite only accounting for 1 percent of the U.S. workforce.
Other statistics that highlight the seriousness of oil field accidents include:
Sadly, the Labor Department has noted that the number of injuries is very likely to be higher than what is reported.
Source: NewsWest9