2 people died in Lea County
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Two gas pipeline explosions occurred in New Mexico on Tuesday, with one in Lea County claiming two lives and another in San Juan County causing power outages but no injuries.
The Lea County explosion happened just after 1 p.m. in an oilfield off Highway 176. Two people, who have not been identified, were killed. The Lea County Sheriff’s Office described the incident as an industrial accident and has not released further information.
Later that afternoon, another pipeline exploded in San Juan County, sending flames 100 feet into the air. While no lives were lost, power went out for some residents for several hours before being restored. First responders confirmed there was no threat to property.
“This was pretty much a mile or two from any residences. This is a wooded area. There is a pipeline easement in the area,” officials said.
Authorities in both counties are investigating the cause of the explosions.
“And we’re waiting to hear, just like everybody else, what the results of the investigation into the cause of this fire is,” officials said.
Jahan Rusty, director of forensic engineering at Texas Tech University, has investigated several pipeline explosions over the past decade.
“The question that I have is that were there workers there doing any kind of excavation type work in the vicinity, because that’s obviously one of the potential causes,” Rusty said.
Rusty also noted that investigators will likely examine the pipeline’s structural integrity.
“You’re supposed to do periodic inspections to make sure that, you know, the pipelines are maintaining their structural integrity in terms of wall thickness, in terms of corrosion, and corrosion rates must be monitored,” Rusty said.
