Six contractors suffered severe burns last Friday morning when a storage tank exploded during a maintenance operation at an oil well disposal site in Mississippi.
Explosion Erupted as Storage Tanks Were Being Replaced
The July 29 explosion erupted around 7:50 a.m. at a site along Virlilia Road in Flora, Madison County, Mississippi.
“There were four storage tank facilities to hold products from oil wells,” Minor Norman, Madison County Fire Coordinator, told WLBL-TV. “They (the workers) were in the process of changing out two tanks with new fiberglass tanks. They were getting ready to go into service when the older tank exploded.”
The six workers burned in the incident were caught up in the resulting fire.
2 W. B. Red Hancock Employees Suffered Burns to at Least 50% of Their Body
Three were taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, including two who were airlifted with burns to at least 50% of their body. All three were later transferred to the burn unit at Merit Health Central.
The remaining three workers were taken directly to Merit Health via ambulance.
None of the injured workers have been identified. However, officials in Mississippi confirmed they were employed by W.S. Red Hancock, an oilfield construction and welding company headquartered in Bentonia, Mississippi.
Mississippi Storage Tank Explosion Remains Under Investigation
So far, it’s not clear what caused Friday’s tragic explosion.
According to Mississippi officials, the new fiberglass tanks were empty, and the crew had reportedly completed all welding operations by Thursday. The older tank apparently contained a small amount of petroleum product and generated a “huge fireball” when it exploded.
When fire crews arrived on the scene, one of the older tanks was missing its top, and another was blown off its foundation entirely. The latter was eventually found in the woods behind the well site.
Inspectors from the U.S. Occupational Health & Safety Administration arrived at the site on Friday. Personnel from the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board and the state fire marshal’s office are also involved in the investigation.
Contact Our Undefeated Oilfield Explosion Lawyers: Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consultation.
Our Undefeated Oilfield Explosion Lawyers have won Billions – including the #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Burn Settlement in U.S. History and the #1 Largest Oilfield Accident Settlement in History – against the biggest oil and gas companies in the world.
If you or a loved one were injured in the Mississippi oil storage tank explosion on July 29, 2022, call 1-888-603-3636, use the “chat” button on our homepage, or click here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Us” form.
Our Oilfield Accident Attorneys will answer all of your questions, explain your rights, and provide all the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
To learn more about our success representing injured oilfield workers and their families, visit our “Results” page or Click Here to see what our clients have said about their experience with our firm.
All consultations are free, and you won’t owe us a dime unless we win your case.