An explosion at the Port of Corpus Christi Friday morning left several people injured after a barge struck a new gas pipeline.

KRIS-TV reports that the explosion occurred just after 8:05 AM near Latana and I-37. A Coast Guard official told KRIS a dredge struck a submerged pipeline. It then caught fire, after which flames spread to a nearby grain elevator.

The Corpus Christi Caller Times reports that the pipeline carried natural gas, and that at least eight people were injured in the fire. Six were transported to local hospitals, while two refused treatment. Those people were rescued from the water by local responders and the Coast Guard.

KXAN-TV reported that six people remained missing late Friday morning.



 


Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement late Friday morning in which he said the Coast Guard, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the Texas Department of Public Safety are assisting local first responders, while the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was monitoring air quality in the area around the port.

Abbott urged Texans to pray for the safety of first responders as they work the area and try to keep people safe.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

TIPS: Here's how you can prepare for power outages

 

More From KUSJ-FM