THE EMPIRE DISTRICT GAS COMPANY

Incident 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.'"