Four people are missing and six others are wounded in Texas after a dredging vessel struck a natural gas pipeline, causing a fiery explosion.
The explosion happened at about 8 a.m. at the Port of Corpus Christi, located in the southern part of the state along the Gulf Coast. The U.S. Coast Guard said that the four people who are missing were working as part of the crew aboard the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd.
LOOK: Fire crews are being dispatched to an explosion at Corpus Christi’s natural gas pipeline pic.twitter.com/GdxeoxInkD
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The Coast Guard was able to rescue two crew members, and parts of the port were closed as authorities continued to search for the others, according to the Coast Guard’s most recent bulletin about the incident.
“The Fire Department is still conducting search and rescue operations with the Coast Guard at the Port of Corpus Christi, looking to see if there’s anybody else that was impacted, but we haven’t found anybody else so far,” Corpus Christi Fire Department Chief Robert Rocha said.
Rocha said that when firefighters arrived at the scene of the blast, they “encountered heavy fire and smoke conditions.” He also said that of the six people who were hospitalized, one is in serious condition.
“The State of Texas is working closely with local partners in Corpus Christi as well as the Coast Guard to assist with emergency response efforts following the explosion,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement Friday.
