Some residents in Mexico, Missouri were literally knocked out of their beds early Sunday morning but it wasn’t an earthquake but a massive pipeline explosion rocked the city and surrounding area.
Multiple fire departments from across Central Missouri remain on the scene of the huge gas pipeline fire along Highway 15 in Audrain County, Missouri.
The Audrain County Emergency Management Department said they responded to multiple 911 calls for a loud explosion along Highway 15 just a mile north of Mexico. The first crews arrived around 3 a.m. and found a massive fire in the pipeline operated by Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, LP based out of Dallas.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported. Officials on the scene are going door-to-door looking for possible property damage.
They also said the pipeline has been shut off, but it will take a while for the gas to bleed off. Authorities said no evacuation of the city of Mexico is needed.
Several people are tweeting pictures and video, which shows flames shooting into the sky. One resident called our newsroom to say flames are 60 feet high and she said the sky is “lit up like it’s the middle of the afternoon.”