Philadelphia Gas Explosion Kills 1, Leaves 3 In Critical Condition (VIDEO)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Three people remain in critical condition after a gas main explosion that killed one utility worker and forced dozens from their homes in Philadelphia.

A spokeswoman says three patients are in critical condition in the Temple University Hospital burn unit Wednesday morning following the explosion in the city's Tacony neighborhood. Spokeswoman Rebecca Harmon says one other patient was treated and released.

Among the injured were four Philadelphia Gas Works employees and a firefighter. The Fire Department's communications center says the injured firefighter is in stable condition.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours Tuesday evening. Crews from PGW had been dispatched to the scene to investigate reports of a gas odor when the blast occurred.

PGW says it's unclear what sparked the explosion.

WATCH:

Comments

[pipenozzle]

06:37 PM on 01/24/2011

This gas explosion and fire occurred shortly after a week in Philly that saw two five alarm, and a four alarm fire--a school, an apartment building, and a factory. And last summer the city govt imposed rolling brownouts for fire protection, meaning three firehouses a day are shutdown. Same story of using public safety cuts to balance the budget at a time when cities like Philly can least afford to reduce public safety because of ancient infrastructure and housing.

[nfatt1]

10:40 AM on 01/20/2011

Yeah, but the utility executives got good year end bonuses.

[bipolarcat452]

09:00 PM on 01/19/2011

Some of Philadelphia's aging city gas mains are an astonishing 75+ Years old. It is amazing more incidents like this don't occur considering.

[ionthegravity]

06:28 PM on 01/19/2011

I live only a few blocks away from there!! I get my hair cut in a barbershop on that corner!!
I can't believe i didn't here that!!

[jsarets]

10:17 PM on 01/19/2011

Good thing the BBC is reporting on localized utility accidents in America. I don't know what's more odd: that the American national news media didn't cover this, or that the BBC did.

[jonester]

04:39 PM on 01/19/2011

I'm sure some cost-cutting caused the explosion.

[Genders]

08:23 PM on 01/22/2011

Yes, it probably did. Big Business cuts corners till it breaks.

[Thomas Hodgson]

04:30 PM on 01/19/2011

Thirty seconds of Ad. Fifteen seconds of content.
Flag as abusive.

[AG creative]

03:53 PM on 01/19/2011

This is America?

[jonester]

04:41 PM on 01/19/2011

Only by name.

[AG creative]

05:36 PM on 01/19/2011

Yup. About as sturdy as chicken-wire and styrofoam strip malls. And twice as flammable.

[MacTheBlogger]

03:35 PM on 01/19/2011

That reminds me, I have to clean the barbeque.
.

[orkt]

04:32 PM on 01/19/2011

Why? You have such poor taste the filth in your barbecue shouldn't matter.

[MISTERUNCONVENTIONAL]

02:51 PM on 01/19/2011

We spend trillions to go blow up buildings and people in Afghanistan while our crumbling infrastructure blows Americans up right here at home.

End the war. Put people to work. Rebuild America.

[mycotropic]

03:10 PM on 01/19/2011

I agree with this observation and am already opposed to the next war.

[Glorax]

03:22 PM on 01/19/2011

I'm opposed to the dozens of current wars we haven't even been told about yet.

[OpposingViewpoint]

03:54 PM on 01/19/2011

At this point we have no idea what the contributing factors to this event were. How do you know this explosion was the result of "crumbling infrastructure" as opposed to say damage caused by third party excavation or say an auto accident that might have damaged natural gas piping facilities causing them to leak?

[plumbergirl]

04:14 PM on 01/19/2011

Yep. All I can say is, "More info please."

[Eddy333]

04:24 PM on 01/19/2011

I live in Philly and this same thing happened in my neighborhood. Fortunately no one was killed that time, and no one was there to video tape it, so it didn't make the news and go viral, but, yes, the infrastructure in Philly is crumbling. The utility companies are slowly doing their best to counteract it, but much more $ and personnel are needed.

The fact that we are rebuilding parts of Iraq and Afghanistan and I live in a town where houses explode and the schools are sh*t chaps my *ss to no end.