Four employees suffered burns when a propane or natural gas tanker truck exploded January 12 in the wash bay at a Liberal, Kansas, trucking company.
The explosion happened around 2:30 yesterday at Groendyke Transport’s facilities off Highway 83.
Four men were working in the wash bay when the explosion occurred. Three of the men suffered third-degree burns and are listed in critical condition. The fourth person suffered only minor injuries.
Investigators are unsure what caused the explosion. They believe that the tanker truck was empty, but employees reported that gas vapors were released.
A half-mile area around the fire was sectioned off and all employees were evacuated because authorities feared more explosions.
Investigators from the Kansas Fire Marshall’s office are still trying to determine what caused the explosion.
Sources:
KWCH
The Hutchison News
KAKE