EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

If ya'll have a minute send one up for those affected in this mornings explosion in Louisiana., last I read miraculously no deaths have been reported but as of an hour ago there were over 33 confirmed injuries. This hits close to home for myself as i'm sure it does for many others on this site being refinery/ chemical plant workers, the plant I have been at for close to a year now is basically the same type as the one that blew this morning.....makes you think how fast things can change!

Oh wow, I'm surprised I didn't hear of this....I'm so glad no one was killed!

sure will one of my kens missed work that was suppose to been work in the plant!  a blink of a eye life can fade away!:(

1 DEAD, 73 INJURED

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/13/us-chemicals-fire-idUSBRE95C0P120130613

I was afraid it was going to get worse......prayers to all involved

Where at in La was the plant

Geismar

WOW!

Took these two pics as I was running for my life. I was 150yds away from the explosion. Ran to the back and crossed the ditch but there was no gate. A scaffold builder had some pliers and cut the fence. The initial explosion shook everything around us and knocked 2 of our guys to the ground from 150yds away. After the explosion was a jet engine sound and when I looked I saw the fire and noticed what the jet engine sound was... A 10-12" pipe spraying fire on top of fire as if it was a water hose. Electrical wires were sparking and arcing all over the place. We made it out to the hwy and noticed a cloud of chemicals in the distance so after walking a half mile, we walked 2 miles further away being herded like cattle by the cops.


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They let me back in the plant today to get my truck... Thankfully because I had 3 pigs in ice chests in the back bleeding them out. I snapped a couple more pics that are hard to see but the piping and cable trays were tangled and out of place and everything else was charred

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We were escorted in by staye police and a williams employee. the following is what he told us around 10:00 am this morning.
One confirmed fatality on site and 77 injured. The one confirmed on site was described by his coworker as a smart eager young guy that wanted to learn and was always out in the field. 29yr old Zachary Green was married and had a little girl.

The second fatality succumbed to burns over 90% of his body at 1:00pm today. 47yr old Scott Thrower is survived by his wife and little girl. He was described as the smartest operated they had. Just under 20yrs of experience and knew the plant like the back of his hand. He was found on fire crawling from the explosion and air-meded to the emergency room.

The fact that only 2 are dead and 77 injured is actually remarkable. 830 some odd people in a small plant and the explosion area was the most worked spot. Prayers are needed for the families and people both effected and involved.

These pictures were either sent to me or posted by the local news
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For a bit of comparison the flare that lit off is every bit of 300ft tall, and the fire was above it.

When I went in to get my truck today it was very eerie. A plant that was always full of nice, hard working, friendly but always dirty and greasy workers that wave to you no matter who you are... Peddling there 3 wheel bikes to their job. These guys truly work hard for their dollar... But it was now empty.

The whole plant, that is usually well manned, and cleaned was reduced to a flooded, empty ghost town. Water filled pretty much every area except for the road ways. They sprayed the fire from 8:40am until at least 2:00pm. It was like a scene from a war movie. Trucks half submerged in water, trucks with tool boxes open, doors open, windows down... Forklifts and rigs with a load in suspension. Hard hats, gloves, goggles, and glasses littered the roads from where people just ran and let go of whatever was weighing then down. It was as if the rapture came and every task they were doing was just paused. All these images are burned into my memory and I hope it is nothing I have to witness again.

Wow....man that's just eerie sounding!!! I'm a pipefitter and I work in chemical plants all the time....thank God I've never been in an explosion!!

Country Bumpkin

Millwright by trade, turned vibration tech. I started in the plants 10yrs ago at the age of 18... Always saw these things on the news and never thought much of it besides a prayer or two. It's definitely different when you are involved in one, especially your first.

Man, that's pretty scary Cody. It's a wonder that there isn't more accidents with as many plants as there is between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. I read somewhere that there is over 100 chemical plants and 20
refineries along the river.

Its a miracle more lives weren't lost, glad you made it out swine.....been in the plants for 8 yrs and ive always kept it in the back of my mind to not get too complacent, if can happen in the blink of an eye. The plant i work in now produces amd refines the same chemicals......crazy how fast things can go south. We've had a few close calls this year.....prayin it never happens!
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Been in the oil fields and plants since I graduated and nothing in them is your friend everything will hurt you. My aunts brother died in the Exxon fire in Beaumont this year and the effect on the family is not nice at all. Hope all of the remaining injured come out alright.

Found out today that the younger man Zachary Green, died from the initial percussion. He was found with small amount of burns to one side of his face and a broken arm

Dang, at least he went quick, prayers for his family.