Four people have been injured in an explosion and fire at the MarkWest Energy facility in Washington County, Pennsylvania, local officials say. The cause was not immediately known.<\/p>\n
The accident happened just after 6 p.m. ET on Thursday when firefighters were called to the facility, which is located at 800 Western Avenue. It is also known as the Houston Processing and Fractionation Facility.<\/p>\n
The explosion, which was heard across the area, involved a frac tank which held 200 barrels of liquid ethylene glycol plus hydrocarbons. Flames lit up the sky but the fire was extinguished within 1 hour, officials said. <\/p>\n
A large number of emergency services responded to the scene, including 3 medical helicopters. Four injured people, some of whom suffered serious injuries, were airlifted to hospital for treatment.<\/p>\n
The MarkWest facility is about 17 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. MarkWest is a subsidiary of MPLX LP and works with natural gas, natural gas liquids, and crude oil.<\/p>\n
\n#BREAKING<\/a>: There are reports of an explosion at Markwest Energy in Washington, Pa. Multiple injuries. This is a developing story so stay with KDKA-TV for more information as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com\/accvMvH0ah<\/a><\/p>\n
— CathyN (@CathyNoschese) December 13, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n