Gas Pipeline Explodes In The Panhandle

Authorities say no one was injured when a natural gas pipeline exploded in northwest Oklahoma, shooting flames into the sky that were visible from up to 50 miles away.

The explosion happened at about 11 p.m. Tuesday in a rural area of Harper County near the Kansas border. The pipeline is owned by Northern Natural Gas Company of Omaha, Neb.

Company spokesman Mike Loeffler says the cause of the explosion isn’t yet known. He says firefighters have contained the blaze and are letting it burn itself out.

Four nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

The explosion occurred in a rural part of the state near the Panhandle and could be seen as far north as the Turpin/Tyrone area.