Propane Pipeline Blast Kills 1, Levels 10 Homes

A leaking liquid propane pipeline exploded in flames Tuesday, killing one person, injuring three others and leveling 10 homes in this farm town, authorities said.

“The houses in that area are completely devastated,” said Chris Becker of Middleburgh Telephone Co. “It looks like somebody dropped a bomb.”

The underground pipeline exploded twice in the community of about 100 people 40 miles southwest of Albany, knocking out electricity and phone service for up to 15 miles, officials said.

The explosions carried such force that street signs were blackened and needles were blown from evergreen trees.

“When it first happened, we thought an airplane had crashed into the side of the hill,” resident Liz Mace said. “I was just getting ready for work and there was this horrendous explosion. It sounded like a jet when they pass the sound barrier.”

Besides the 10 homes leveled, five houses were extensively damaged, officials said. Smoke wafted from the shells of burned-out cars at the side of Westkill Road and flames danced from trees 60 feet high.

Volunteer firefighters from a dozen companies spent almost three hours extinguishing fires.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Mark Dowis, a spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Department, said the leak could have been caused by a manufacturing flaw, damage from an outside force or buckling brought on by frost. The 8-inch pipeline, owned by Texas Eastern Transmission Corp., is almost 50 years old, he said.