Gas Well Blast in Louisiana Kills 6, Injures 5

A natural gas well exploded and caught fire Saturday, killing six of the 13 workers on the crew. At least two of five injured workers remained hospitalized, including one in critical condition.

Two of the workers were uninjured, said Bob Lane, chief operating officer for Sonat Exploration Co., which owns the well.

The intense heat from the fire prevented rescue crews from getting close enough to remove some of the bodies.

The crew was completing a new well in Bienville Parish, about 45 miles east of Shreveport, Lane said.

Edmonson said the fire was expected to burn through the night. The blast’s cause was not immediately known.

The well, in a large clearing in north Louisiana woods, shot flames 100 feet or more into the air with a roar like a jet engine, state police spokesman Chris Johnson said.

The framework of the well started to melt in the intense heat and eventually fell.

Black smoke rose hundreds of feet above the well, said Tammy Collinsworth, owner of Bryceland Mall, located a few miles away.

Firefighters were pouring water onto drums of methanol, which is used for drilling, to try to keep those from exploding.