November 17, 2011
By: Bruce Berry
Several Ohio residents may be looking to file home insurance claims in the coming days as multiple homes were destroyed when a gas pipeline ruptured violently.
The explosion was reportedly both felt and heard several miles away, officials told The Columbus Dispatch. Three houses and a barn were heavily damaged from the explosion and subsequent fires, which took crews from 14 different departments hours to extinguish.
One resident, John Sayers, told the paper that the blast was so powerful, it caused him to stagger while walking. He said he remembered only "an explosion and fire, and that's about it ... Our house is destroyed. It's completely gone."
Officials were uncertain what might have caused the explosion, but an investigation is underway. The owner of the pipeline, Tennessee Gas, has been cited multiple times for failure to comply with federal regulations.
Overall, pipeline incidents have caused significant issues across the state. A review of information by the Cincinnati Enquirer noted more than $26 million in property damage had been caused by 41 different incidents involving gas or other pipelines.
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