By Alison Sider
A natural gas transmission line exploded early Tuesday in a
rural Louisiana community about 70 miles north of New Orleans,
knocking out power and causing area residents to be evacuated,
local authorities said.
A large mushroom cloud and fire erupted from the line following
the explosion at around 5:00 a.m., said Lauren Ritchie, a spokesman
for the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office.
The line, owned by Florida Gas Transmission, carries natural gas
from Texas along the Gulf Coast through Louisiana and into
Florida.
It appears no one was injured or killed in the blast. The
Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
said 55 people were evacuated from a one-mile area, and Ms. Ritchie
said the explosion knocked out power to the small rural community
of Plainview.
One mobile home was destroyed in the fire, but the woman who
lives there was able to escape, Ms. Ritchie said.
The explosion comes on the heels of fatal explosions at two
different chemical plants outside of Baton Rouge last week.
It's not yet clear what caused the explosion outside of
Franklinton, La. The governor's office said the gas fire is
extinguished but nearby trees are still burning. Ms. Ritchie said
state and federal responders are waiting for the area to become
safe before going in to investigate.
Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for Florida Gas, said the affected
section of the 5,500 mile line has been shut in, and natural gas is
being rerouted. The incident won't have any impact on the company's
deliveries, she said.
The Florida Gas Transmission pipeline is a joint venture between
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) and Energy Transfer Partners (ETP).
Write to Alison Sider at alison.sider@dowjones.com
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