Gas Well Explodes in Moundsville, WV; 7 Injured

An explosion has occurred at a natural gas well in Moundsville, WV, injuring seven workers.  

The Moundsville Echo Newspaper's City Editor Hugh Anderson tells KDKA Radio that three of the injured workers had to be driven to Pittsburgh hospitals by ambulance because the FAA grounded planes and helicopters in the immediate area due to fog.

A state inspector says a crew drilling a gas well through an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle ignited methane, triggering an explosion that burned seven workers.

Department of Environmental Protection inspector Bill Hendershot says Buckhannon-based Union Drilling had gone about 1,100 feet when something caused the ignition early Monday morning.

Union referred calls to a Texas office. A phone message wasn't immediately returned.

Hendershot says Union had drilled through the mine near Moundsville before without incident. Now, flames are shooting at least 70 feet high.

The workers were taken to West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh. All are listed in fair condition.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is sending investigators to the site.

This incident follows last week's blowout of a natural gas well in Clearfield County, PA.