Ukraine rocked as huge gas pipeline explosion ‘leaves entire villages shaking’
A giant gas explosion has been reported in the Ukraine – with the explosion believed to have happened on a main gas pipeline in the Urengoy – Pomary region.
Local news reports have suggested the explosion occurred near the village of Kalaydyntsi – while footage and photos from the area showed a giant ball of fire lighting up the sky.
No casualties have been reported – with the giant explosion taking place on Saturday.
A local news update stated: “Emergency gas shutdowns are possible. Please, if the gas is turned off, make sure that all gas burners are closed.”
Footage shared on Twitter showed a giant ball of fire erupting skywards as locals reported a deafening explosion.
One Twitter user, sharing footage, wrote: “The explosion thundered on the gas pipeline of the Lubnygaz enterprise in the #Poltava region of #Ukraine.”
Another video uploaded to Twitter showed the flames erupting on the horizon while a roar from the fire could be clearly heard.
Locals filming the incident could be heard gasping and exclaiming in the background of the video.
While further footage from a busy motorway showed flames and dark smoke leaping from the source of the explosion near the village of Novaki.
The BBC reports Ihor Mosiychuk, who resides in the vicinity of the explosion, said that the incident occurred between the villages of Yenkivtsi and Tarandyntsi.
He is reported stating via Facebook: “The explosion was so strong that the windows in the neighboring villages were shaking.”
He added: “You can see the fire.”
Meanwhile, local emergency services have warned that some towns, cities and regions will be affected by emergency gas shut downs.
Kyiv Post reports local authoritie warning: “The list of settlements that have been disconnected or will be disconnected from the gas supply is being specified.”
They add: “JSC Lubnygaz is putting all emergency services on duty in an operational mode.”
Courtesy of dailystar.co.uk
Gas explosion leaves 4 dead, 1 injured in coal mine in north China’s Shanxi Province
Four people have been confirmed dead and another injured in a gas explosion in a coal mine in north China’s Shanxi Province, according to local authorities on Tuesday.
The explosion happened in the mine owned by Lu’an Group at around 2am on Tuesday. The rescue work has ended. An investigation into the cause of the blast is under way.
The mine has an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes.
Courtesy of gulfnews.com
At least 5 injured in blast, fire at Virginia strip mall, USA
The strip mall contained a vape shop, musical instrument store and recording studio, according to the Daily News-Record. It was a “total loss,” city spokesman Michael Parks said. Damage was also reported to other structures.
Although Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted that state emergency personnel had been deployed to the area after what he called a gas explosion, Harrisonburg Fire Chief Matt Tobia told reporters the cause was under investigation.
Parks, who said the probe will likely take several days, said there’s no indication of foul play.
Harrisonburg, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, is a city of around 50,000 that’s home to James Madison University.
The university said in a Facebook post that three students from the school’s Army ROTC program who had been participating in a 10-mile race were among those injured. The building where the blast occurred was about 30 yards (27 metres) from the race’s start and finish line, the school said.
One of the students was hospitalized but was expected to be quickly released, JMU said. Two other students were treated at the scene and released, according to the post.
The university said the other two injured people were not affiliated with JMU. The city’s update, posted on Twitter around 5:30 p.m., said they had been flown to the University of Virginia’s medical centre in serious condition and were “now stable.”
Parks said it wasn’t immediately clear if those victims were affiliated with one of the centre’s businesses.
Tobia said when crews arrived, the injured were outside of the structure.
Families who lived nearby told TV station WHSV the blast shook their homes.
“It woke me up personally and I mean, I knew right away that it was something not normal,” Katie Landes told the station. “So, I looked right outside the window that was right by me and I saw that there was the beginning of some serious smoke going on.”
Courtesy of yorktonthisweek.com
Explosion rocks Benin Sapele Highway, Nigeria
Barely three months after about 17 people were feared killed in a tanker explosion at a collapsed portion of the Benin-Sapele Highway, a similar disaster occurred on the same highway on Saturday evening when a gas truck fell into a ditch and burst into flames.
The incident occurred while the truck was manoeuvring potholes on the bad portion of the road at Ugbenu axis, in the Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The gravity of the accident could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
Our correspondent, however, gathered that firefighters from the Delta Fire Service have been drafted to the scene of the incident.
Motorists and travellers plying the highway have always lamented the deplorable condition of the road.
Several road users and travellers were always compelled to spend over three hours on a spot, particularly at the Amukpe-Sapele section, as heavy-duty trucks got stuck at some of the failed portions of the highway.
Courtesy of punchng.com
Major Gas Main Fire in Peterborough, UK #Fire #Peterborough #UK
A huge gas main leak fire lit up the night sky in Hyholmes, Peterborough, this morning, with the ‘bright orange’ flames climbing higher than houses near the blaze.
Around 80 people have been forced to leave their homes due to a huge blaze after a gas main caught fire in the early hours of the morning.
Firefighters were called to a large blaze in Hyholmes, Peterborough, at 12.31am this morning.
One witness said the sky ‘looked like it was on fire’ from the inferno, while another said the flames were ‘higher than houses’.
Group Commander Danny Kelly of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said crews discovered a gas mains supply on fire, causing a leak.
No injuries have been reported.
Crews were still battling the blaze hours after arriving on the scene, before it was finally put out at 11.30am.
A spokesman for the gas company Cadent said the gas main is not expected to explode as it is outside.
They added that the fire service had evacuated nearby homes because of the heat of the fire.
“The large gas flame has literally just been reduced to around 4” now and once the gas is off completely the fire will go out,” the spokesman siad.
“We have not been made aware of any injuries and no gas supplies have been impacted either.
“Around 80 people have been evacuated and a 100 metre exclusion zone has been put in place as a safety precaution by the emergency services.
“Gas engineers are working to cut off the affected gas main, whilst also maintaining the gas supplies to the local residents. It is hoped the fire will be out by late morning/early lunchtime.
“Once this work has been completed and checks of the area have also been carried out, it is hoped that residents can then return to their homes.”
The spokesman later said the fire had been extinguished at 11.30am, with residents allowed to return home at 12.20pm.
Hyholmes resident Bryan Grantham told the Peterborough Telegraph: “My son is staying with us and got up to go to the loo. He saw the blue lights flashing and woke us up.
“We could see from our window that the flames were growing. They were shooting up and were above the height of the houses. It had been going for some time by that stage.”
One witness wrote on social media: “It’s bad like really bad I can see the flames from my window it’s gonna be hours before it’s out.
“I’m seeing quite a few people being evacuated from their houses hopefully we’re safe where we are but I hope everyone being evacuated is staying safe.”
Another local said they were awoken by ‘three large bangs’ – and looked outside to find ‘the sky looked like it was on fire’, describing the colour as ‘bright orange’.
Group Commander Kelly said it was hoped the gas could be shut off by about 7.30am.
He added that people had been evacuated to The Cresset performing arts centre in Bretton, where they were organised into household bubbles to comply with social distancing rules.
Flames could be seen in the sky above the area as the fire raged, in pictures released to social media by the fire service.
Firefighters set up hose reels to prevent the fire spreading to nearby homes, while a 100-metre cordon is in place as crews remain at the scene battling the blaze.
The fire service warned people to avoid the area and to keep windows and doors closed.
The blaze was audible in the background as Group Commander Kelly took to Twitter to give an update on the incident.
He said: “I’m here in North Bretton, Peterborough at a large incident involving a gas main which was ruptured.
“The fire service was called earlier this morning at 12.50, to what was believed to be a small fire in a garden.
“When crews arrived they discovered quite a large gas main on fire.
“Currently on scene we have four fire engines and two water carriers standing by. We also have police, ambulance, gas and electric on site as well.
“We’re working together to try and reduce and stop the gas from leaking, which is currently on fire.
“You may here it in the background, it’s quite a severe fire at the moment, and fire service are protecting surrounding properties.
“We have evacuated approximately 80 people from the surrounding area, and we have a 100-metre cordon in place which has been done by our police colleagues.
“I would ask that people keep clear of the general area. There’s a lot going on for us right now but we can reassure you that we’re doing everything we can to resolve the incident as quickly as possible.”
The Group Commander said he hoped to get the gas shut off by 7.30am.
He added: “That is an approximate time, and we’re working with our colleagues from the National Grid and the gas company to resolve it as quickly as possible.
“If that changes, we will update you as quickly as possible.”
Peterborough police wrote on Facebook: “Officers are currently assisting Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service in responding to a fire in Hyholmes, Bretton. An 120 metre cordon is in place and several properties have been evacuated as a precaution. Please avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed if you are nearby.”
A spokeswoman for CFRS said crews were still working prevent the fire from spreading to other properties.
Courtesy of mirror.co.uk
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