New Mexico & Texas Saw One of the Deadliest Pipeline Explosions
Those who live in El Paso, Texas & Carlsbad, New Mexico will certainly remember the date August 19, 2000. To most people this might appear as just a normal day. But to those who lived in the areas, that day will be remembered for being the day of one of the worst pipeline disasters in United States history.
This is the story of the 2000 Carlsbad New Mexico Pipeline Explosion
In the early hours on August 19, an El Paso Natural Gas pipeline ruptured & exploded next to the Pecos River at 5:26 am in Carlsbad, New Mexico. A fire broke out, killing 12 nearby campers & their 3 vehicles were destroyed from the intense flames. When police & fire appeared on site, they described it as a "virtual flamethrower", as the fire consumed the campers beneath a bridge over 200 yards away. At the time it was considered the WORST U.S. gas explosion since 1996.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) did an investigation on the cause of the explosion shortly after. They were able to determine the cause of the explosion was due to intense severe internal corrosion; over 70% of the walls of the pipes were eaten away.
You can see the entire NTSB report online but here some of the photos from the aftermath as well as the fire itself.
This wouldn't be the only time that Carlsbad New Mexico would experience a pipeline explosion; another similar explosion happened near Loving, New Mexico in December of 2017. Thankfully no one was injured in this explosion & amazingly there WAS footage of this fire.
While this was a HUGE disaster in our history, this wasn't the first time El Paso was nearly the hub for a disaster; don't forget the time Juarez almost became the next Chernobyl.
Thankfully we haven't seen anything this bad in over 20 years and it'll never happen again...right?
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Gallery Credit: Daniel Paulus