3 people killed in 2 Texas natural gas explosions

By BETSY BLANEY Associated Press Writer

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Two deadly blasts in two days in Texas have involved workers who have accidentally hit natural gas lines.

Lipscomb County Sheriff James Robertson said a blast Tuesday involved a crew that was removing caliche for a dirt-contracting company. Caliche is commonly used in cement.

The explosion happened when a bulldozer struck a pipeline in a remote area of the Texas Panhandle near Darrouzett, about 270 miles northeast of Lubbock.

A day earlier, one worker was killed when a utility crew accidentally hit and ruptured a natural gas line in rural Johnson County, about 50 miles southwest of Dallas.

Oklahoma-based C&H Power Line Construction Services says that crew followed proper procedures in locating the line before digging.