Midland Family Airlifted to Lubbock After House Explosion
A Midland family has been transported to University Medical Center following a mobile- home explosion on East County Road 150, about half a mile East of South County Road 1040.
A mother, 2 children, and another adult were inside the home when the explosion occurred Thursday morning, and are all currently in critical condition.
According to Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter, "a pocket of gas built up underneath the mobile home, and got into the mobile home. The lady was doing laundry, the dryer was on and it exploded." People as far as 15 miles away felt the ground shake, but the neighbors were left unharmed.
The cause of the pocket of gas has been determined to be a leak in a natural gas pipeline. Gas leaking up from the pipeline is seeping up to the surface and was catching on fire throughout the morning. By sunset on Thursday, the pipeline had been shut off, but first responders will only be able to access the scene once the gas is removed from the pipeline and evaporates.
Multiple gas companies will be coming out to dig up the line and check whose it is. Sheriff Painter says the pipeline is old and rusted to the point that it is no longer safe.