Propane Tank Explosion Leaves 2 Dead, 10 Missing

A propane gas tank exploded in a gas company repair garage today, and at least two people were killed, 10 people were unaccounted for and at least 13 were injured.

Only one wall of the two-story building remained standing after the 9 a.m. explosion. “It’s all the way to the ground,” State Patrol Trooper Gary Eshelman said.

Les Sitter, vice president of Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Co., said two bodies had been recovered and firefighters were searching the rubble of the two-story building for 10 other people who may have been trapped.

Sitter said the source of the explosion was a 1,000-gallon propane tank with just a small amount of gas in it. “Apparently it had just been pulled into a mechanical maintenance area,” he added.

The explosion occurred at Rocky Mountain Natural Gas’ operations office in this city about 150 miles west of Denver. The company, which has its headquarters in Denver, provides natural gas to west-central Colorado mountain communities.

Sitter estimated that 30 people were working in the company’s billing and repair departments at the time.

Thirteen people were taken to Valley View Hospital for treatment, spokeswoman Catherine Evans said. She said most were treated in the emergency room, but she did not describe their injuries.

Fire departments from throughout Garfield County, and cranes and heavy equipment from a highway construction project were sent to the site, in an industrial park in the western part of this Rocky Mountains resort city of 5,000 people.