Investigation continues following the weekend explosion at the Corpus Christi Magellan tank farm. A storage tank explosion resulted in a massive fire, serious injuries, and a tower of black smoke spreading about the Corpus Christi area.
Four workers at the Magellan remain in critical condition Monday morning following the Saturday blast and fire at the refinery facility. Three other workers were also injured but are recovering. The names of the injured personnel, including the four individuals whose lives remain in the balance, have not yet been released to the media or the public.
More specific information is available about one of the critically injured workers. This worker sustained major burns over much of his body, warranting a flight for life to a regional burn center, where the man remains hospitalized in grave condition today.
The injured workers originally were identified as employees of Magellan Midstream Partners, the owner of the facility. In fact, the seven injured individuals were contractors providing inspection and cleaning services on a crude oil storage tank at the Magellan facility. The violent explosion was at the storage tank being serviced by the crew of specialized contractors.
A Corpus Christi explosion accident hotline is available and staffed around the clock at (361) 371-0000. Members of the Doan Law Firm legal team are available at not cost to respond to questions about the legal rights of people injured as a result of explosion accidents like that at the Magellan storage facility.
A residential neighborhood borders on the congested zone packed with industrial sites associated with the burgeoning Texas oil and gas industry. That part of Corpus Christi where the Magellan tank farm is located has become known as “Refinery Row.”
Yet again, people who reside near Refinery Row, together with other area businesses, were subjected to a shelter in place order over the weekend and following the Magellan storage facility explosion. The shelter in place order issued out of two primary concerns.
First, there was a real fear that additional explosions might occur at the Corpus Christi Magellan storage facility. Second, the explosion and fire at the tank farm resulted in a huge plume of black smoke that contained an array of potentially harmful chemicals.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality immediately began monitoring the situation. The Commission is charged with protecting the public more generally in the aftermath of events like this explosion which result in clouds of dangerous smoke and gasses being spewed into the air over population centers like Corpus Christi.
Residents near Refinery Row, some who have lived in their homes for nearly 50 years, express concern about their health going forward. In addition to uncertainty about the cause of the Magellan explosion, information about what chemicals were contained in the smoke remains sketchy two days after the incident.
People living near Resident Row advised that the Magellan tank farm blast was unlike any of the other incidents that have occurred at one or another of the oil and gas facilities in the area. Not only did the initial explosion rock their residences,but people living in the area reported that their homes continued to “tremble” for some time after the deafening blast. Damage to area properties has yet to be fully assessed.
There is hope that investigators striving to pinpoint the cause of the catastrophic explosion will make progress over the next couple of days. In the interim, Mark Calhoun, the operations manager at the Magellan tank farm, advised: “As far as the cause, we don't really know just yet what happened, what caused the fire (and explosion). We will absolutely fully cooperate with the investigation ... and Magellan will also complete a thorough internal investigation as well.”
If you or a loved one has been injured in the Magellan explosion accident, or a similar type of incident elsewhere, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm stands ready to assist you in these difficult times at (361) 371-0000. We staff this hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We can schedule an initial consultation with you at our offices at any time that is convenient for you:
710 Buffalo
Suite 802
Corpus Christi, Texas 78401
(361) 371-0000
We can also schedule a virtual appointment online. There is no charge and no obligation for a consultation with a Doan Law Firm explosion accident lawyer. Our firm also makes an attorney fee guarantee: We charge no fee unless we win for you.