Four people were injured in a gas explosion and fire in Maumelle on Thursday afternoon, according to the Maumelle Fire Department.
Division Chief Michael Cossey of the Maumelle Fire Department said in an interview shortly after 5:30 p.m. Thursday that the injuries ranged from minor to serious. He said he believed the four individuals worked for CenterPoint Energy, but he could not say with certainty.
The utility company was working Thursday evening to shut off the gas line, Cossey said.
The Fire Department received a call around 10:10 a.m. for a gas line rupture after a contractor was working in the area of Edgewood Drive and Windwood Lane. CenterPoint was in the process of making repairs when the explosion happened around 12:50 p.m., Cossey said.
Nearby houses were evacuated, he said. The fire burned for approximately an hour and a half. As of Thursday evening a small flame was still burning, Cossey said.
This story has been updated. The original version follows:
1:48 p.m.: Edgewood Drive in Maumelle closed due to ‘gas line explosion’; construction worker hurt
A segment of Edgewood Drive in Maumelle is closed between Lake Point Drive and Pine Forest Drive due to a “gas line explosion,” city government wrote on Facebook.
The closure encompasses the area near the Maumelle Community Center and Pine Forest Elementary School.
Dispatcher Mike Riggin said a construction worker was injured in the explosion, but had no further details on the situation.
Maumelle police officers and firefighters are on the scene, and the road will be closed until further notice, the city said.