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• Toddler Survives Gas Container Explosion Play Video

  October 12, 2011 11:13 PM

  A one-year-old girl from New Iberia is recovering after she was burned by a gas can explosion. David Bellard, Jr. said he was sitting outside in a go-cart with his young daughter, Jeannette Bellard, Tuesday afternoon, when he said she got up to chase a cat. "When I... more »

• Washington Parish creamery destroyed in explosion

  June 23, 2011 5:48 AM

  MOUNT HERMON, La. (AP) - A fire and explosion that the State Fire Marshal believes was started by a leaking propane tank has destroyed the Smith Creamery in Mount Hermon. The early Wednesday explosion inside the 5,000-square-foot building scattered debris as far as a half-mile away. The fire marshal's office... more »

• Evacuation ends; Multi-Chem cleanup begins Play Video

  June 17, 2011 12:26 AM

  More than 60 homes and businesses are back to 'normal' Thursday afternoon. An evacuation put in place Tuesday evening ended a two-day blockade of a mile radius of Multi-Chem Corp. on Admiral Doyle Drive in New Iberia. "They were tremendous explosions." Odis Lounsberry says, "I called 911 and asked... more »

• Doctors, chemists raise health concerns over explosion Play Video

  June 16, 2011 12:02 AM

  Tuesday's explosion in New Iberia is raising concerns from doctors and chemists. Some of those chemicals involved in the explosion could cause side effects for people nearby. A few of the chemicals used at the plant include xylene, toluene and methanol. All, highly explosive chemicals. Now, residents are voicing some... more »

• Multi-Chem Claims Center Busy on First Day Play Video

  June 16, 2011 12:02 AM

  Many people are already out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars as a result of the Multi-Chem explosion on Tuesday. Now those people are turning to the company for help. KATC was at the Multi-Chem claims center Wednesday afternoon as the reimbursement process began. Whether it's the little things... more »

• Witnesses Recap Moments Following the Explosion Play Video

  June 15, 2011 7:43 PM

  Hundreds of people working near the site of the explosion are waiting on the evacuation to be lifted to return to work. A few eye-witnesses told KATC their story today. "It just felt like thunder. I thought it was going to be an afternoon shower coming on, and then... more »

• 10 pm Update: Multi-Chem Comments on New Iberia Explosion Play Video

  June 15, 2011 12:17 AM

  Multi-Chem representatives arrived in New Iberia Tuesday night to assess the situation at their facility in New Iberia and begin investigating what caused the massive explosion. Multi-Chem also confirmed there were no injuries from this incident, saying all employees followed safety procedures and evacuated the plant quickly. However, the... more »

• Powerful Explosion Levels Vacant NY House

  April 24, 2011 2:31 PM

  BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) - A powerful explosion has destroyed a vacant house on New York's Long Island. No one was seriously injured in the Easter morning blast, but 21 people from nearby homes have been taken to hospitals for evaluation. The force of the explosion was strong enough to knock... more »

• Neighbors Shaken by Deadly Gas Well Explosion Play Video

  April 1, 2011 12:45 AM

  The deadly Hilcorp Energy Company gas well explosion Thursday afternoon rocked the small neighborhood that sits right behind the well site. For many residents, the accident hit a little too close to home. "Well I was at work and I saw the cops and the sirens and I saw... more »

• Statement from Texas Gas Company Following Explosion

  December 24, 2010 11:50 AM

  At approximately 1 a.m. on Friday, December 24, an incident occurred at a Texas Gas compressor station in Lafayette Parish resulting in a fire. At the time of the incident, the emergency shutdown system isolated the compressor station from the pipeline system. Company personnel worked with local responders to ensure... more »

• Spill panel: No evidence of saving $ over safety

  November 8, 2010 10:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The BP oil rig explosion and spill wasn't about anyone purposely trading money for safety, investigators on a special presidential commission said Monday. Instead it was more about seemingly acceptable risks adding up to disaster. Investigators at the commission's hearing outlined more than a dozen decisions that... more »

• Six Months After the April 20 Deepwater Horizon Explosion

  October 20, 2010 3:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The crude has stopped gushing and coastlines are largely clear of the thick goo that washed ashore for months, but the impact of the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history will no doubt linger for years. Six months after the April 20 Deepwater Horizon... more »

• U.S. Coast Guard -Rig Explosion Evacuation Effort

  October 4, 2010 12:01 PM

  METAIRIE, La. (AP) - A U.S. Coast Guard official says the fact that more than 100 people escaped the Gulf of Mexico rig explosion alive is a sign that the evacuation effort went fairly well. Capt. James Hanzalik, chief of incident response for the Coast Guard's 8th District, told a... more »

• Germany: 4 die after blast, shooting

  September 19, 2010 4:32 PM

  BERLIN (AP) - Four people died and a policeman was seriously wounded in a town in southwestern Germany on Sunday, after an explosion in an apartment building and a shooting in the neighboring hospital that authorities believe are linked, a prosecutor said. Two people were found dead in an apartment... more »

• UPDATE-Refinery Explosion in Mexico

  September 7, 2010 1:07 PM

  UPDATE- CADEREYTA, Mexico (AP) - An explosion at Mexico's third-largest refinery Tuesday killed one worker and injured 10, the state-run oil company said. The blast at the Cadereyta refinery outside the northeastern city of Monterrey was caused by a leak in a hydrogen recirculation compressor, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said... more »

• Platform Explosion Raises Concern About the Drilling Moratorium Play Video

  September 3, 2010 7:10 PM

  Just when it looked hopeful that the ban on offshore drilling may come to an end, another accident has all eyes looking towards the gulf. Lafayette resident, John Constantine, said " it was going to get to a point where we got more sympathy, but I think that this... more »

• Boaters React to Platform Fire Play Video

  September 2, 2010 7:35 PM

  With Labor Day weekend upon us, recreational fishermen are already hitting the waters, including Vermilion Bay. The oil platform exploded less than 100 miles south of the fishing area, and once word spread, many thoughts of loved ones and the economy crossed the minds of locals. "It's what you... more »

• Platform Worker's Family Shares Their Story Play Video

  September 2, 2010 7:28 PM

  Two men from Geuydan were on the platform that caught on fire today--Joseph Breaux and Dewey Dupree. "My daddy's my life. It's always been all three of us--my mom and him," Amanda Dupree explained. She tells KATC that today she feared for her dad, Dewey Dupree's, life after... more »

• Summary of Vermilion 380 Explosion

  September 2, 2010 6:48 PM

  NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) - An oil platform exploded and burned off the Louisiana coast Thursday, the second such disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in less than five months. This time, the Coast Guard said there was no leak, and no one was killed. The Coast Guard initially reported... more »

• Governor Bobby Jindal Holds Press Conference to Give Update on Mariner Platform Fire in Gulf

  September 2, 2010 4:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Governor Bobby Jindal held a press conference today on the Mariner Production Platform fire incident in the Gulf, following a UCG meeting with all state agencies and Coast Guard Admiral Landry and Captain Stanton who joined by phone. State officials were also briefed by senior Mariner company... more »

• Mariner Energy Statement on Platform Explosion

  September 2, 2010 1:31 PM

  Mariner Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ME) confirms that a fire has occurred at a production platform located on Vermilion Block 380, approximately 100 miles from the Louisiana coast. All 13 members of the crew have been evacuated and safely accounted for. No injuries have been reported. In an initial flyover, no... more »

• 11:45 Update on Oil Platform Explosion

  September 2, 2010 12:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) - An offshore petroleum platform exploded and was burning Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay. The Coast Guard says no one was killed in the explosion, which was reported by a commercial helicopter flying over the site around 9... more »

• 1 Injured in Gas Compressor Station Explosion

  August 25, 2010 8:43 PM

  SHONGALOO, La. (AP) - An explosion at a natural gas compressor station near Shongaloo has left an employee critically injured. The explosion at the DCP compressor station happened at about 4 a.m. Wednesday. Officials say an employee was conducting a site inspectiediwhen the accident occurred. The employee, identified as Heath... more »

• Alarm System Was Shut Down Day of Rig Explosion

  July 23, 2010 2:06 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - An electronics technician aboard the ill-fated oil rig Deepwater Horizon told an investigative panel Friday that an alarm system was partially shut down on the day the rig exploded. Mike Williams said the system was turned on to monitor for fire, explosive gas and toxic gas... more »

• Minor Explosion in Lafayette Play Video

  July 10, 2010 7:06 PM

  Firefighters and ambulance rushed to a local health and beauty plant after a scare Saturday morning. A container of benzoyl peroxide exploded at AMCOL H-B-S off laser lane. Three people were exposed, but no one was injured. Benzoyl peroxide is used to treat mild to moderate acne or bleach... more »

• 2nd tank believed from BP's rig explosion washed ashore

  June 14, 2010 1:57 PM

  MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A second storage tank believed to be from BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion has washed ashore in the Florida Panhandle. The Walton County Sheriff's Office said Monday that BP was taking the tank to New Orleans where the April rig explosion is being investigated.... more »

• Minor Rig Explosion South of Cocodrie Play Video

  June 11, 2010 3:00 PM

  The US Coast Guard confirms a crew boat transporting 15 passengers to a rig 15 miles south of Cocodrie, hit the rig too hard and caused a natural gas leak around 11:20 Friday morning. The leak was secured immediately. All crew members were evacuated and treated as a precaution. more »

• Obama Meets With Family Members of Those Who Lost Their Lives In Rig Explosion

  June 10, 2010 5:45 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Family members of the 11 men killed in the Gulf oil rig explosion say they're satisfied President Barack Obama and lawmakers will help them get just compensation for their loss. Widows, parents and other relatives spoke at a news conference Thursday with senators who want to change... more »

• BOP Was Working Before The Explosion of Deepwater Horizon

  May 28, 2010 6:20 PM

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The last-ditch safety equipment that failed to stop what has become the worst oil spill in U.S. history was working properly in the days before the explosion, the top executive of the company that owns the equipment said Friday. The equipment, known as a blowout preventer,... more »

• 2 Workers From Oil Rig Explosion Told Congress Company Cut Corners

  May 27, 2010 5:24 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Two workers injured when an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico tell Congress that the companies in charge of the doomed drilling operation cut corners and neglected maintenance in a race toward higher profits. Laborer Stephen Stone told the House Judiciary Committee Thursday that the... more »

• Methane Bubble Triggered Explosion

  May 8, 2010 10:31 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - The deadly blowout of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico was triggered by a bubble of methane gas that escaped from the well and shot up the drill column, expanding quickly as it burst through several seals... more »

• Thursday Morning Update: Oil Cleanup

  May 6, 2010 11:40 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - It's never been tried before, but crews hope to lower a 100-ton concrete-and-steel box a mile under the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday to cut off most of the hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil spewing from a... more »

• Two Gannets Found Dead, Covered in Oil

  May 6, 2010 11:24 AM

  Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement agents discovered two dead gannets, possibly killed by the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill, on May 5th. A determination has not been made on the cause of the birds deaths, but agents confirmed that the birds were covered in oil when found. Sgt. Ray... more »

• 65 Potential Class Action Lawsuits

  May 6, 2010 10:57 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - A federal judicial panel in Washington has been asked to consolidate at least 65 potential class action lawsuits claiming economic damage from the Gulf oil spill. Shrimpers, commercial fishermen, business and resort owners, charter boat captains and even would-be vacationers have filed lawsuits from Texas... more »

• One of Three Leaks Capped on Well

  May 5, 2010 10:50 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The best short-term solution to bottling up a disastrous oil spill threatening sealife and livelihoods along the Gulf Coast should be headed out to sea Wednesday in the form of a specially built giant concrete-and-steel box designed to siphon the oil away. At about midday, a... more »

• 3 Workers Who Survived Oil Rig Explosion File Lawsuit

  May 4, 2010 4:30 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Three workers who survived an explosion aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico have filed a lawsuit claiming they were kept floating in lifeboats at sea for more than 10 hours. The lawsuit filed in Galveston, Texas, says the men couldn't even call home to... more »

• Monday: Oil Clean-Up Update

  May 3, 2010 11:14 AM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - BP PLC said Monday that it will pay for all the cleanup costs from a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that could continue spewing crude for at least another week. The company posted a fact sheet on its Web... more »

• Obama: Leak Could Take Many Days to Stop

  May 2, 2010 6:56 PM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - No remedy in sight, President Barack Obama on Sunday warned of a "massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster" as a badly damaged oil well a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico spewed a widening and deadly slick toward delicate wetlands... more »

• Jindal Asks for Help For Fishermen

  April 30, 2010 11:17 AM

  Today, Governor Bobby Jindal sent the following letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke requesting the declaration of a commercial fisheries failure as well as support from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for commercial and recreational fishing businesses. This declaration will provide financial assistance to... more »

• Military Helps with Cleanup of Oil Spill

  April 30, 2010 11:14 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Air Force planes have been sent to Mississippi and were awaiting orders to start dumping chemicals on the oil spill threatening the coast, as the government worked Friday to determine how large a role the military should play in the cleanup.... more »

• Oil To Reach Mississippi River Delta Tonight

  April 29, 2010 4:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal official says the leading edge of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to reach the Mississippi River delta by Thursday night. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration spokesman Charles Henry says as of this morning, part of the... more »

• Thursday's Oil Spill Update

  April 29, 2010 4:06 PM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency and the federal government sent in skimmers and booms Thursday as oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico oozed toward the fragile coastline. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara said... more »

• Spill's Effect on Climate Bill

  April 29, 2010 1:55 PM

  Obama administration officials say the Gulf Coast oil rig spill will be considered in the expansion of offshore drilling and will become part of the debate on climate change in Congress. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that the cause, still not... more »

• Navy to Help with Oil Spill Clean-up

  April 29, 2010 1:47 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Navy is sending equipment to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Navy bases are being used as staging areas for the operation. And that's just probably the beginning of a larger Pentagon effort to deal... more »

• Briefing To Be Streamed Live on TV and KATC.com

  April 29, 2010 1:38 PM

  Governor Bobby Jindal will be holding a briefing at 2:30 in Baton Rouge to update residents on the oil spill emergency. KATC will carry that speech live on television and at KATC.com. more »

• Congressional Investigation Into Oil Rig Explosion

  April 27, 2010 5:15 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers have asked the owner and operator of the oil rig that exploded last week in the Gulf of Mexico for documents as part of a congressional investigation into the accident. The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California, and... more »

• Oil Spill Fears After Oil Rig Explosion

  April 23, 2010 9:08 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - As the Coast Guard searched for 11 crew members missing after a drilling rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities turned their focus to controlling an oil spill that could threaten the fragile ecosystem of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. The Deepwater Horizon... more »

• Obama Orders Help in Gulf of Mexico

  April 22, 2010 7:36 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is ordering federal agencies to devote every resource necessary to help with the situation in the Gulf of Mexico where an oil platform exploded and sank. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama was briefed Thursday afternoon by top officials from... more »

• Jindal Releases Statement Regarding Oil Rig Explosion

  April 22, 2010 7:11 PM

  Governor Bobby Jindal released the following statement today regarding the Coast Guard's most recent update on the oil rig explosion south of Venice: "I spoke to Admiral Mary Landry with the U.S. Coast Guard a few hours ago and she said that while rescue efforts are still continuing to look... more »

• Lawsuit Filed Following Rig Explosion

  April 22, 2010 12:39 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A lawsuit is claiming the companies involved in an oil platform explosion off the Louisiana coast were negligent. The lawsuit was filed in New Orleans on Thursday on behalf of a Mississippi man who worked on the rig and is one... more »

• Thursday: Oil Rig Explosion Update

  April 22, 2010 12:19 PM

  PORT FOURCHON, La. (AP) - A Coast Guard helicopter and rescue plane resumed the search Thursday for 11 workers missing after a massive explosion aboard an oil platform off the Louisiana coast. The rig continued to burn as supply vessels shot water into it try... more »

• Search for Missing Will Continue Overnight

  April 21, 2010 10:19 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard by sea and air planned to search overnight for 11 workers missing since a thunderous explosion rocked an oil drilling platform that continued to burn late Wednesday, more than a day since it sent a fireball into the ... more »

• Update: Search Continues for 11 Workers Following Oil Rig Explosion

  April 21, 2010 4:44 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - An explosion rocked an offshore oil drilling platform, sending a column of fire into the sky and touching off a frantic search at sea Wednesday for 11 missing workers. Most of the 126 workers on the rig Deepwater Horizon escaped safely... more »

• Evacuated Workers Missing After Oil Rig Explosion

  April 21, 2010 6:24 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard says at least 11 people are missing and seven hurt after an explosion and fire at an oildrilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. The rig -- which is still burning -- is owned by Transocean Ltd. of Houston. Spokesman... more »

• 1 dead in pipeline explosion at Barksdale

  January 7, 2010 10:38 AM

  BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. - Air Force officials say a natural gas pipeline explosion at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana has killed a civilian. Maj. Carie Parker, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Bomb Wing, says the explosion happened about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday near an unpopulated area on... more »