Natural Gas Explosion Kills 1

In yet another deadly fossil-fuel disaster—this year has seen a massive mine explosion and the largest oil spill in U.S. history—one man was killed Monday when a natural gas line in Texas ignited after utility workers accidentally struck the line. A huge fireball shot into the air, and searchers could only find the dead man’s body after the fire had subsided. His name was not released. Firefighters had to stay half a mile from the flames until the gas was shut off, and then couldn’t douse the fire, which burned for two hours. The line exploded when the victim was riding in a truck and drilling holes for utility poles in Johnson County, about 50 miles southwest of Dallas. The 2,000-pund truck was later found torn apart, its drilling component 250 feet away. Seven other workers went to the hospital: Four are in stable condition, two were released, and one was taken to another hospital with no word on the patient’s condition.