CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Natural gas pipeline explosion

By James Felton and Brianna Owczarzak

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    TYRONE TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WNEM) — A gas explosion shook parts of mid-Michigan, just a few miles south of Fenton Wednesday morning.

The blast in Livingston County’s Tyrone Township shut down all lanes of US-23 and Old US-23 north of Center Road. Those roads have reopened and Michigan State Police say no injuries have been reported.

“The whole building started to shake and we looked at each other and we ran out. And up in the sky, about 100 feet, you could see the gasses coming out,” said Rick Richardson, resident.

Richardson said he talked to someone who was working on the natural gas line.

“The one guy cleaning it, the ground started to bubble, he said. And he took off running and then it blew,” Richardson said.

Mary Roberts, who works at a gas station near the intersection of Center Road and US-23, said the explosion shook her house.

At one point, crews shut down all lanes of the highway. Roberts said she talked with a lot of bewildered motorists.

“They came in and they asked if we knew what had happened because there was mud and debris all over the expressway. Big hole in the ground and gas was still coming up through where the explosion site happened for probably a good half an hour,” Roberts said.

Consumers Energy said there was a leak in the natural gas transmission line. The company shut off the flow of natural gas. Consumers Energy said there were no injuries and no interruption of service.

“My girlfriend and I woke up between 9 and 9:30, heard a loud boom. It’s typical where we hear airplanes circling around so we just figured it was like an engine from an airplane. But then it continued for like 15 or 20 minutes,” said Ehren Gonzales, resident.

Gonzales drove to the explosion site from his home to see what happened.

“I live behind the Fenton High School in Tyrone Township. And that’s probably a mile and a half, two miles away. So it’s quite an explosion,” Gonzales said.

As for Richardson, he thinks the explosion is a big deal but realizes there are other places going through much worse.

“I just couldn’t imagine what they’re going through in Ukraine and stuff after seeing this little bit here. I just couldn’t imagine it. But yeah, it was something,” Richardson said.

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