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A business exploded after an 89-year-old pipe in the street failed, highlighting need for natural gas detectors, NTSB says
Investigators said a cracked 1936 weld let gas seep underground and ignite inside the building, while evacuations helped prevent injuries.
- On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board determined that a failed 90-year-old pipeline weld caused the February 22, 2025, explosion at Steffens Auto Parts in Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Investigators found the 10-inch gas main, installed in 1936 by Kansas Gas Service, failed because the original weld lacked proper penetration and fusion, significantly reducing structural strength.
- After a 911 call, Hutchinson Fire Department crews arrived seven minutes later and evacuated the building seconds before it exploded, preventing fatalities and causing $875,000 in property damage.
- Following the explosion, ONE Gas Inc. implemented updated integrity measures, including enhanced data collection of utility crossings near vintage lines and a real-time reporting system for field failures.
- The NTSB report highlighted the need for natural gas detectors in buildings near gas assets, a recommendation the agency has supported for nearly 50 years.
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A business exploded after an 89-year-old pipe in the street failed, highlighting need for natural gas detectors, NTSB says
By Aaron Cooper, CNN (CNN) — A joint welded between two huge gas pipes nearly 90 years ago and buried under a street failed and caused a Kansas auto parts store to explode in flames, the National Transportation Safety Board determined in a report released Tuesday. The incident has prompted the agency to highlight recommendations
·Idaho Falls, United States
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left0Leaning Right0Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Center
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