California Pipeline Blast Kills Three Workers, Two Missing 11/12/2004
Three workers have been confirmed dead and two are missing and presumed dead after a pipeline ruptured and exploded Nov. 9 during construction in Walnut Creek, Calif.
The dead were working on a water pipeline that the East Bay Municipal Utility District is building to transport water from Walnut Creek to San Ramon. The line is parallel to a gas pipeline. A full investigation is pending, but early speculation suggests that the water pipe had inadvertantly come in contact with the gas pipeline, triggering the explosion. Two died in the explosion and a third worker died a day later from third-degree burns. Four others are still in the hospital with moderate to severe burns. Due to safety concerns about residual gas vapors, rescue teams have been thwarted in their attempt to locate the missing workers who could be trapped inside a 15-ft-dia pipeline.