Incident details
Operator, cause, commodity and consequences with raw source fields.
GD incident on 2025-05-09 — MO
Operator
The Empire District Gas Company
Cause
Miscellaneous Root Causes
Commodity
Natural Gas
Program
GD
Damage and Injuries
1 fatality
2 injuries
Property damage (nominal)
$616,386
Incident datetime
2025-05-09 00:00 UTC
Report number
Location
MO, LAFAYETTE
Narrative
Please refer to the 05-05-2025 ntsb preliminary report for its in docket# pld25lr004, available at the link provided. (https://www.Ntsb.Gov/investigations/pages/pld25lr004.Aspx) contains the following description of the incident: 'on april 9, 2025, about 7:42 p.M. Local time, a natural gas-fueled explosion and fires in lexington, missouri, destroyed one single-family residence (1717 franklin avenue) and damaged two others, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The explosion occurred more than 3 hours after alfra construction, llc, a drilling subcontractor installing a fiber optic line for sellenriek construction, drilled into an unmarked section of a capped underground gas distribution main located near the residences. The gas main was operated by liberty utilities, a subsidiary of algonquin power and utilities corporation, which provides gas service to the area. 'five days before the accident, on april 4, alfra construction called missouri 811 to have any buried utilities in the area marked.[2] liberty utilities sent a locator to mark its assets by painting and flagging and reported that this work was finished on april 7.(3) the location of the [capped] gas main section involved in the accident was not identified or marked during this process. 'shortly after 4:00 p.M. On the day of the accident, the alfra construction work crew member operating the drill felt the drill strike an object. The work crew saw and smelled odorized natural gas being released. The work crew's supervisor called 911 and 811 and reported a damaged gas line. Units from the lexington fire department arrived about 4:20 p.M.; personnel from liberty utilities began arriving about 4:39 p.M. Liberty utilities personnel attempted to isolate the leak by squeezing off the main but did not succeed in stopping the flow of gas.[4] at the direction of liberty utilities, a business about 15 feet from the leak was evacuated before the explosion. Other nearby buildings were not evacuated, including the destroyed and damaged residences, which ranged from 80 to 160 feet from the leak. The damaged main was isolated about 8:10 p.M., after the explosion. The gas main involved in this accident was a 4-inch polyethylene (plastic) pipe operating at 30 pounds per square inch gauge pressure; its maximum allowable operating pressure was 35 pounds per square inch gauge.'
Detailed record list
Report Received Date
2025-05-09 00:00:00
Iyear
2025.0
Report Number
20250027.0
Supplemental Number
41239.0
Report Type
Supplemental
Operator Id
12606
Name
The Empire District Gas Company
Operator Street Address
602 Joplin Street
Operator City Name
Joplin
Operator State Abbreviation
MO
Operator Postal Code
64801.0
Time Zone
Central
Daylight Savings Ind
Yes
Location Street Address
1717 Franklin Ave
Location City Name
Lexington
Location County Name
Lafayette
Location State Abbreviation
MO
Location Postal Code
64067.0
Location Latitude
39.184002
Location Longitude
-93.874447
Flow Cont Main Valve Ind
Yes
Flow Cont Other Ind
Yes
Flow Cont Other Detail
Turned Off Two Gate Stations To Isolate System
Nrc Rpt Num
1428183.0
Commodity Released Type
Natural Gas
Unintentional Release
53.68
Intentional Release
0.0
Fatality Ind
Yes
Num Emp Fatalities
0
Num Contr Fatalities
0
Num Er Fatalities
0
Num Worker Fatalities
0
Num Gp Fatalities
1
Fatal
1
Injury Ind
Yes
Num Emp Injuries
0
Num Contr Injuries
0
Num Er Injuries
0
Num Worker Injuries
0
Num Gp Injuries
2
Injure
2
Ignite Ind
Yes
How Extinguished
Other
How Extinguished Other Detail
Town Gas Flow Was Shut Down At City Gate Stations
Gas Consumed By Fire In Mcf
1
Explode Ind
Yes
Num Pub Evacuated
2.0
Communication State Fed Ind
Yes
Party Initiated Communication
Operator
Federal
No
Location Type
Private Property
Incident Area Type
Underground
Incident Area Subtype
Under Pavement
Depth Of Cover
24.0
Other Underground Facilities
No
Crossing
Yes
Road Crossing Ind
Yes
Road Type
Bored/drilled
Pipe Facility Type
Investor Owned
System Part Involved
Main
Installation Year
1989.0
Pipe Diameter
4.0
Pipe Specification
Pe2406
Pipe Manufacturer
Unknown
Material Involved
Plastic
Plastic Type
Polyethylene (Pe)
Plastic Sdr
11.5
Material Pe Pipe Code
2406
Release Type
Mechanical Puncture
Puncture Axial
0.5
Puncture Circum
0.5
Class Location Type
Class 3 Location
Est Cost Oper Paid
525722.0
Est Cost Prop Damage
616386.0
Est Cost Emergency
44085.0
Est Cost Other
0.0
Gas Cost In Mcf
7.0364
Est Cost Unintentional Release
378.0
Est Cost Intentional Release
0.0
Prpty
1186571.0
Commercial Affected
223.0
Industrial Affected
0.0
Residences Affected
1685.0
Num Persons Hosp Not Ovnght
0.0
Num Injured Treated By Emt
0.0
Num Resident Building Affctd
1685.0
Num Business Building Affctd
223.0
Accident Psig
30.0
Normal Psig
30.0
Mop Psig
35.0
Mop Cfr Section
192.619(A)(4)
Maop Established Date
1988-12-01 00:00:00
Accident Pressure
Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop
Gas Odorized System Type
Injection Pump
Gas Odorized Level
0.1
Scada In Place Ind
Yes
Scada Operating Ind
Yes
Scada Functional Ind
Yes
Scada Detection Ind
No
Scada Conf Ind
No
Accident Identifier
Notification From Third Party That Caused The Incident
Investigation Status
No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate)
Investigation Status Details
Third party damage
Employee Drug Test Ind
Yes
Num Employees Tested
6
Num Employees Failed
0
Contractor Drug Test Ind
No
Cause
Excavation Damage
Cause Details
Excavation Damage By Third Party
Ex Party Type
Excavation Damage By Third Party
Prior Notification Ind
Yes
One Call System Ind
Yes
State Law Exempt Ind
Unknown
Notify Cga Dirt
Yes
Public Row Ind
Yes
Public Subtype
City Street
Joint Trench Ind
No
Cross Bore Ind
Yes
Depth Of Grade
18� � 36�
Excavator Type
Contractor
Excavator Equipment
Directional Drilling
Work Performed
Telecommunications
One Call Notified Ind
Yes
White Lined Ind
No
Locator Type
Facility Owner
Visible Marks
Unknown/other
Service Interruption
Unknown/other
Root Cause Category
Miscellaneous Root Causes
Root Cause Type
Root Cause Not Listed (Comment Required)
Root Cause Type Other
Under Ntsb Investigation,docket#pld25lr004
Preparer Name
R***** S*****
Preparer Title
Regional Director Operations
Preparer Email
R************@l***************.com
Preparer Telephone
573-225-7834
Authorizer Name
M****** D B*****
Authorizer Title
President
Authorizer Telephone
573-755-0108
Authorizer Email
M**********@l***************.com
Narrative
Please refer to the 05-05-2025 ntsb preliminary report for its in docket# pld25lr004, available at the link provided. (https://www.Ntsb.Gov/investigations/pages/pld25lr004.Aspx) contains the following description of the incident: 'on april 9, 2025, about 7:42 p.M. Local time, a natural gas-fueled explosion and fires in lexington, missouri, destroyed one single-family residence (1717 franklin avenue) and damaged two others, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The explosion occurred more than 3 hours after alfra construction, llc, a drilling subcontractor installing a fiber optic line for sellenriek construction, drilled into an unmarked section of a capped underground gas distribution main located near the residences. The gas main was operated by liberty utilities, a subsidiary of algonquin power and utilities corporation, which provides gas service to the area. 'five days before the accident, on april 4, alfra construction called missouri 811 to have any buried utilities in the area marked.[2] liberty utilities sent a locator to mark its assets by painting and flagging and reported that this work was finished on april 7.(3) the location of the [capped] gas main section involved in the accident was not identified or marked during this process. 'shortly after 4:00 p.M. On the day of the accident, the alfra construction work crew member operating the drill felt the drill strike an object. The work crew saw and smelled odorized natural gas being released. The work crew's supervisor called 911 and 811 and reported a damaged gas line. Units from the lexington fire department arrived about 4:20 p.M.; personnel from liberty utilities began arriving about 4:39 p.M. Liberty utilities personnel attempted to isolate the leak by squeezing off the main but did not succeed in stopping the flow of gas.[4] at the direction of liberty utilities, a business about 15 feet from the leak was evacuated before the explosion. Other nearby buildings were not evacuated, including the destroyed and damaged residences, which ranged from 80 to 160 feet from the leak. The damaged main was isolated about 8:10 p.M., after the explosion. The gas main involved in this accident was a 4-inch polyethylene (plastic) pipe operating at 30 pounds per square inch gauge pressure; its maximum allowable operating pressure was 35 pounds per square inch gauge.'
| Report Received Date | 2025-05-09 00:00:00 |
|---|---|
| Iyear | 2025.0 |
| Report Number | 20250027.0 |
| Supplemental Number | 41239.0 |
| Report Type | Supplemental |
| Operator Id | 12606 PHMSA Enforcement |
| Name | The Empire District Gas Company |
| Operator Street Address | 602 Joplin Street |
| Operator City Name | Joplin |
| Operator State Abbreviation | MO |
| Operator Postal Code | 64801.0 |
| Time Zone | Central |
| Daylight Savings Ind | Yes |
| Location Street Address | 1717 Franklin Ave |
| Location City Name | Lexington |
| Location County Name | Lafayette |
| Location State Abbreviation | MO |
| Location Postal Code | 64067.0 |
| Location Latitude | 39.184002 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Location Longitude | -93.874447 Google Maps OpenStreetMap |
| Flow Cont Main Valve Ind | Yes |
| Flow Cont Other Ind | Yes |
| Flow Cont Other Detail | Turned Off Two Gate Stations To Isolate System |
| Nrc Rpt Num | 1428183.0 NRC Report How to search |
| Commodity Released Type | Natural Gas |
| Unintentional Release | 53.68 |
| Intentional Release | 0.0 |
| Fatality Ind | Yes |
| Num Emp Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Contr Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Er Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Worker Fatalities | 0 |
| Num Gp Fatalities | 1 |
| Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Ind | Yes |
| Num Emp Injuries | 0 |
| Num Contr Injuries | 0 |
| Num Er Injuries | 0 |
| Num Worker Injuries | 0 |
| Num Gp Injuries | 2 |
| Injure | 2 |
| Ignite Ind | Yes |
| How Extinguished | Other |
| How Extinguished Other Detail | Town Gas Flow Was Shut Down At City Gate Stations |
| Gas Consumed By Fire In Mcf | 1 |
| Explode Ind | Yes |
| Num Pub Evacuated | 2.0 |
| Communication State Fed Ind | Yes |
| Party Initiated Communication | Operator |
| Federal | No |
| Location Type | Private Property |
| Incident Area Type | Underground |
| Incident Area Subtype | Under Pavement |
| Depth Of Cover | 24.0 |
| Other Underground Facilities | No |
| Crossing | Yes |
| Road Crossing Ind | Yes |
| Road Type | Bored/drilled |
| Pipe Facility Type | Investor Owned |
| System Part Involved | Main |
| Installation Year | 1989.0 |
| Pipe Diameter | 4.0 |
| Pipe Specification | Pe2406 |
| Pipe Manufacturer | Unknown |
| Material Involved | Plastic |
| Plastic Type | Polyethylene (Pe) |
| Plastic Sdr | 11.5 |
| Material Pe Pipe Code | 2406 |
| Release Type | Mechanical Puncture |
| Puncture Axial | 0.5 |
| Puncture Circum | 0.5 |
| Class Location Type | Class 3 Location |
| Est Cost Oper Paid | 525722.0 |
| Est Cost Prop Damage | 616386.0 |
| Est Cost Emergency | 44085.0 |
| Est Cost Other | 0.0 |
| Gas Cost In Mcf | 7.0364 |
| Est Cost Unintentional Release | 378.0 |
| Est Cost Intentional Release | 0.0 |
| Prpty | 1186571.0 |
| Commercial Affected | 223.0 |
| Industrial Affected | 0.0 |
| Residences Affected | 1685.0 |
| Num Persons Hosp Not Ovnght | 0.0 |
| Num Injured Treated By Emt | 0.0 |
| Num Resident Building Affctd | 1685.0 |
| Num Business Building Affctd | 223.0 |
| Accident Psig | 30.0 |
| Normal Psig | 30.0 |
| Mop Psig | 35.0 |
| Mop Cfr Section | 192.619(A)(4) View CFR 49 §192 |
| Maop Established Date | 1988-12-01 00:00:00 |
| Accident Pressure | Pressure Did Not Exceed Maop |
| Gas Odorized System Type | Injection Pump |
| Gas Odorized Level | 0.1 |
| Scada In Place Ind | Yes |
| Scada Operating Ind | Yes |
| Scada Functional Ind | Yes |
| Scada Detection Ind | No |
| Scada Conf Ind | No |
| Accident Identifier | Notification From Third Party That Caused The Incident |
| Investigation Status | No, the operator did not find that an investigation of the controller(s) actions or control room issues was necessary due to: (provide an explanation for why the operator did not investigate) |
| Investigation Status Details | Third party damage |
| Employee Drug Test Ind | Yes |
| Num Employees Tested | 6 |
| Num Employees Failed | 0 |
| Contractor Drug Test Ind | No |
| Cause | Excavation Damage |
| Cause Details | Excavation Damage By Third Party |
| Ex Party Type | Excavation Damage By Third Party |
| Prior Notification Ind | Yes |
| One Call System Ind | Yes |
| State Law Exempt Ind | Unknown |
| Notify Cga Dirt | Yes |
| Public Row Ind | Yes |
| Public Subtype | City Street |
| Joint Trench Ind | No |
| Cross Bore Ind | Yes |
| Depth Of Grade | 18� � 36� |
| Excavator Type | Contractor |
| Excavator Equipment | Directional Drilling |
| Work Performed | Telecommunications |
| One Call Notified Ind | Yes |
| White Lined Ind | No |
| Locator Type | Facility Owner |
| Visible Marks | Unknown/other |
| Service Interruption | Unknown/other |
| Root Cause Category | Miscellaneous Root Causes |
| Root Cause Type | Root Cause Not Listed (Comment Required) |
| Root Cause Type Other | Under Ntsb Investigation,docket#pld25lr004 |
| Preparer Name | R***** S***** |
| Preparer Title | Regional Director Operations |
| Preparer Email | R************@l***************.com |
| Preparer Telephone | 573-225-7834 |
| Authorizer Name | M****** D B***** |
| Authorizer Title | President |
| Authorizer Telephone | 573-755-0108 |
| Authorizer Email | M**********@l***************.com |
| Narrative | Please refer to the 05-05-2025 ntsb preliminary report for its in docket# pld25lr004, available at the link provided. (https://www.Ntsb.Gov/investigations/pages/pld25lr004.Aspx) contains the following description of the incident: 'on april 9, 2025, about 7:42 p.M. Local time, a natural gas-fueled explosion and fires in lexington, missouri, destroyed one single-family residence (1717 franklin avenue) and damaged two others, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The explosion occurred more than 3 hours after alfra construction, llc, a drilling subcontractor installing a fiber optic line for sellenriek construction, drilled into an unmarked section of a capped underground gas distribution main located near the residences. The gas main was operated by liberty utilities, a subsidiary of algonquin power and utilities corporation, which provides gas service to the area. 'five days before the accident, on april 4, alfra construction called missouri 811 to have any buried utilities in the area marked.[2] liberty utilities sent a locator to mark its assets by painting and flagging and reported that this work was finished on april 7.(3) the location of the [capped] gas main section involved in the accident was not identified or marked during this process. 'shortly after 4:00 p.M. On the day of the accident, the alfra construction work crew member operating the drill felt the drill strike an object. The work crew saw and smelled odorized natural gas being released. The work crew's supervisor called 911 and 811 and reported a damaged gas line. Units from the lexington fire department arrived about 4:20 p.M.; personnel from liberty utilities began arriving about 4:39 p.M. Liberty utilities personnel attempted to isolate the leak by squeezing off the main but did not succeed in stopping the flow of gas.[4] at the direction of liberty utilities, a business about 15 feet from the leak was evacuated before the explosion. Other nearby buildings were not evacuated, including the destroyed and damaged residences, which ranged from 80 to 160 feet from the leak. The damaged main was isolated about 8:10 p.M., after the explosion. The gas main involved in this accident was a 4-inch polyethylene (plastic) pipe operating at 30 pounds per square inch gauge pressure; its maximum allowable operating pressure was 35 pounds per square inch gauge.' |
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