http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000115/ts/explosion_kansas_2.html

Saturday January 15 9:20 PM ET One Dead in Kansas City House Explosion KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Reuters) - One man died and another was injured when a powerful blast that rocked a south Kansas City neighborhood on Saturday evening sent pieces of a burning house flying into neighboring yards and through the windshield of a passing car, fire officials said.

The explosion, which occurred a few minutes before 6 p.m. CST, was felt as far as 10 miles away. Fire officials initially thought the blast was triggered by a natural gas explosion, but later said that other causes were being considered.

Local bomb and arson squads were being called in, as was the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said fire department spokesman Brad Humston.

Humston said the house where the blast occurred was obliterated.

``It is totally gone. There is no house left. Just a basement,'' he said.

Humston said one man living in the house died, but he did not disclose the man's identity. Another man, who was driving past the area when the blast happened, was injured when a piece of the exploding house flew through his windshield. The man was treated and released from a local hospital, Humston said.

In addition, a neighboring house burned to the ground when fire from the explosion engulfed the house. Two elderly residents of that home were knocked down by the blast, but were able to escape without injury, Humston said.

Firefighters were kept busy extinguishing small fires that broke out across several neighbors' yards, but had the main fire under control within two hours, Humston said.

Earlier Stories

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000

Answers

Saw the smoke billowing in the sky when we were on our way to the inlaws for dinner last night. They live about 2 miles from where this happened. We were enroute when the explosion must have happened, but didn't feel or hear anything, just noticed a massive amount of grey smoke in the air.

Local news this morning advising nearby residents not to touch any debris they find in their yards that may be from the explosion; sounds as if they are thinking it is arson or an explosion due to other causes.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), January 16, 2000.

I won't make an issue of the fact that the explosion actually happened in Missouri. I won't make an issue of the fact that you assign the blame to natural gas even though authorities are not ready to assign the blame to any cause without investigation.

I do make an issue of all your OFF TOPIC posts. STOP IT!!!!!!

I also make an issue of your '?' after the 'OT'. Is this somehow to indicate that it could be a Y2k bug that caused this? My car didn't start yesterday morning and I had to replace the battery. Could it be a Y2k bug? I stubbed my toe. Could it be a Y2k bug?

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), January 16, 2000.

Hokie:

At the moment the Star disagrees with you on the cause;

Star

Best wishes,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), January 16, 2000.

I saw this last night on the local news. Apparently the ATF was called on to the scene b/c explosives were said to be a probable cause.

According to the Kansas City Star "The cause of the explosion was not determined late Saturday, but officials said they had ruled out a ruptured natural gas line."

If memory serves, I believe that a similar situation happened in Dallas only a few days ago.

Exit 316

-- Exit 316 (exit316@kc-primary.net), January 16, 2000.

Mike2k

1. It was a cut and paste, all I added was a title to thread, and link. You would have realised this if you had taken the uhm time to check the link before you stuck your foot in your mouth.

2. By your standards, your post of a bomb in Missouri wastes the boards' time, and you uh didn't even provide a link.

3. I have yet to see you post ANY tech links to support your innuendo that the rash of natural gas explosions are (A.) equal in number to prior years, and (B.) not related to embeddeds.

4. Until you or any other forum participant brings such evidence to my attention, I will continue to monitor this perplexing and tragic series of human and property causualties within this forum.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000.

Hokie,

Do you have links that show there are more natural gas explosions than in prior years and that this is linked to embeddeds?

CJS

-- CJS (cjs@cjs.com), January 16, 2000.

hokie dribbles...3. I have yet to see you post ANY tech links to support your innuendo that the rash of natural gas explosions are (A.) equal in number to prior years, and (B.) not related to embeddeds.

And you just happen to have the prrof that (a). this was indeed a natural gas explosion (b). that an embedded chip just happen to fail at this one house.???? Get a freaking clue.... The only *rash* around here is the one around your anus!

-- phhffffttt (pokie@i.dont.care.com), January 16, 2000.

so, HOKIE, you want to know "anyone keeping count"?

since you say:"I will continue to monitor this perplexing and tragic series of human and property causualties within this forum. ", I would suggest that YOU keep track of these.

If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000.

Last year someone was keeping track of the industrial explosions on a website. I don't know if it is still active and I can't find the URL. I may have read about it on csy2k. Does anyone have the URL?

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000.

Hi Hokie, good post, even if it does turn out to be an other than gas related explosion. Seems that fire officials are now quick to state (not a gas explosion--like not y2k related--probably because there've been so many of late. Here's at least a partial list of links to stories about explosions and fires that have taken place ovewr last week or so:

Update Texas Official: "I've never seen anything quite like" the Texas gas explosion that killed three today"

"It appears there was a gas leak in the alley, which is where the distribution line is," said state Railroad Commissioner Charles Matthews. The railroad commission, which regulates utility companies in Texas, is investigating the accident along with TXU Electric and Gas. Matthews said he did not know what ignited the blast. "I've been to a lot of explosions and accidents," Matthews said. "I've never seen anything quite like this. The house was leveled. There was enormous force."

Link to Story:

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGI654OHG3C.html

Forty-foot Fireball in Residential Street After Natural Gas Explosion, York, United Kingdom

Information Added: Friday, January 14, 2000 - 6:33 PM ----- The gas leak exploded into a 40-foot (12-meter) fireball in a residential street, forcing emergency workers to evacuate about 150 people.

There were no reports of any injuries or major property damage.

Eighty firefighters worked to tackle the blaze, which gas officials attributed to a rupture in a gas pipeline.

Link to story:

http://www.humanitarian.net/challenges.html

here a link to a house explosion in Dallas that killed three people earlier today reported earlier today:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000114/ts/explosion_house_1.html

Update on pipeline explosion story that killed a family of four in Scotland on December 22, 1999:

Gas supply company Transco has promised to review its use of a certain type of piping after an explosion in a Lanarkshire town which killed a family of four. Many of the 60 Larkhall residents who attended the meeting were angry that neither Transco nor the Health and Safety Executive, who were also represented, would say what caused the explosion. Link to story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_598000/598038.stm

The story is interesting in light of reports of two gas related explosions that occurred in Italy and England earlier today.

European explosions

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=002I8f

Seven Workers Hurt in Blast at Metal Recycling Company; Four Workers Critically Burned Niles, IL, United States

----- Information Added: Thursday, January 13, 2000 - 8:31 PM ----- The explosion at the metal recycling company, Electronic Recovery Specialists, left four workers critically burned and three others injured.

No official cause has been determined. There are conflicting theories about the cause being advanced.

Thomas Ahern of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said the explosion and fire took place at a newly installed machine used to strip copper off the tops of military shell casings.

Ahern said "somehow [the machine] sparked some type of explosion".

Ahern, along with Niles police and fire investigators, said the firm handled no live ammunition. they added it was possible some residual powder in the shells, such as magnesium, may have detonated if it came in contact with sparks from machine.

But the company's attorney, ronald L. Bell, said there was not enough magnesium to tip off the roof and blow the brick facade off the building. He believes the spark came from the machine and hit a gas pipe in the ceiling.

But a spokesperson for the company that supplies the firm with natural gas say she doubts the accident involved natural gas.

"The information we have from the Fire Department is that neither natural gas nor our system are involved," said Jane Wiedmeyer of Nicor Gas.

The employees who were most seriously injured had been taking aprt the heads of shells in the warehouse when the explosion occurred, attorney Bell said.

Electronic Recovery gleans valuable metals from used electronics and demilitarized munitions.

A representative of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on hand to look at whether the munitions were being properly stored, said John Maronic, assistant area director for OSHA's area office

Link to story:

http://www.humanitarian.net/challenges.html

Natural Gas Explosion at Potato Chip Factory Forces Evacuations Lynn, MA, United States

Information Added: Thursday, January 13, 2000 - 8:19 PM ----- The explosion forced the closure of the northbound lanes of the Lynnway and the evacuation of several nearby buildings as a precaution.

The blast occurred outside of the potato chip factory, according to Lynn Fire Chief Curtis Numberg.

Link to story

http://www.humanitarian.net/challenges.html

Kaiser explosing report: Kaiser impeded investigation

http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=002HWc

Ford Plant Explosion

http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=002H46

More on Ford explosion

http://www.hilbornlaw.com/RougePlant/default.htm

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 16, 2000.

HOKIE> 1. It was a cut and paste, all I added was a title to thread, and link. You would have realised this if you had taken the uhm time to check the link before you stuck your foot in your mouth.

REPLY: Your title is exactly what I took issue with. As far as your link, it wasn't a hot link and what you quoted contradicted that any firm conclusion could be made that it was indeed a natural gas explosion at all, much less any conclusion that it is Y2k related. The foot is in your mouth.

HOKIE> 2. By your standards, your post of a bomb in Missouri wastes the boards' time, and you uh didn't even provide a link.

REPLY: So now it's a bomb. You said it was a natural gas explosion. No matter, because yes, it is a waste of bandwidth on this board. Nothing obligated me to provide a link -- your idiocy was adequately exposed at the top of the thread.

HOKIE> 3. I have yet to see you post ANY tech links to support your innuendo that the rash of natural gas explosions are (A.) equal in number to prior years, and (B.) not related to embeddeds.

REPLY: Where's the evidence of a "rash of natural gas explosions"? Who has statistics that prooves this? Where's the link? Where are any links from you for this and for showing that it is related to embedded processors? The burden of proof is on YOU!

HOKIE> 4. Until you or any other forum participant brings such evidence to my attention, I will continue to monitor this perplexing and tragic series of human and property causualties within this forum.

REPLY> So here we have the real TimeBomb 2000: an explosion of off- topic posts from doomers desparately trying to be right. Yes, these are tragedies but hardly perplexing except to feeble minded doomers.

No, I am not going to try to prove a negative here. The burden of proof is on YOU, and so far you have not provided a single shred of evidence that a Y2k bug is responsible. What is the average number of natural gas explosions over the the last 20 years, and what is the standard deviation? Even if you can provide evidence that the number of these incidences is statistically greater than in the past, you still need to provide some proof to indicate that a Y2k bug is responsible other than its occurrance in the year 2000.

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), January 16, 2000.

Carl Jenkins, what I said to Hokie applies to you as well -- in fact I think a count of your off-topic posts on the top of this forum would exceed Hokie's.

So Carl, STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), January 16, 2000.

uh, Mike-- no one makes you read every post...

-- Nancy (wellsnl@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000.

Nancy, you're absolutely correct, and indeed I don't read every post.

Simply wading through the message headers from Hokie and Carl Jenkins to find a post that has at least a shred of relavant information is bad enough.

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), January 16, 2000.

My Dear MikeyK

Sir I consider you to be OUT OF LINE HERE! very OUT OF LINE! Since there has been a simular explosion about two days ago here in southren Texas, killing three people. And since there ARE embedded systems in valves and in the meters( for the purpose of recording the amount of gas used per time period!

Now sir! Since we all have opinions! (as well as @$$ holes...Might I suggest that you stop wasting band space with your infantile antics and vocabulary... And get off the poster's back!!!! I DO THANK THE POSTER for his information! But I do not care for your idolt attitude!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shakey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), January 16, 2000.

Folks:

The link to industrial accidents is:

Things that go boom

Best wishes,,,

-- Z1XY7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), January 16, 2000.

Mikey2K,

When were you appointed forum monitor?

What a rant. Let's you explode all over your computer.

Suggestion -- turn your computer off for a year or so. Leave!

-- (-@-.-), January 16, 2000.

I 2nd Shakey's post, and Hokie (as well as Carl) I thank you both for all of your posts, you are keeping those of us who ARE interested, informed on a number of topics. Keep up the posts, I for one am appreciative of the time you spend in finding what may- or may not- be relevant. I get to choose what to read here, I can skip it if I want to.All the best.

on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), January 16, 2000.

More desperate doomers piling on.

Shakey, the incidences are not similar. The one in Texas appears to be natural gas, and the one in KC appears to be other causes. And so what if there are embedded computers recording the amount of gas consumed? How does that cause an explosion? I'd guess that you got your computer education from watching one of those movies from the 60's where simply asking a paradoxical question caused the computer to destroy itself with visuals of overspinning tape drives, status lights wildly blinking, and sparks coming from the panel.

And '--', thank you for your insightful post addressing each of my points. Sure convinced me of the errors in my logic.

Geez, where's the beef?

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), January 16, 2000.

My dear Little Mikey2k,

Sonny, I do believe that you should have been around this forum a little longer than you apparently have been.

Sonny! For better than thirty years I have built (helped to build) (electrically)(controls & start-up) Power generation complexes, piplines, smelters,even huge shopping malls (on those two, I helped put in, clibrate and start up HVAC systems.)

The small unknown companies I performed this work for where Little outfits you probably never heard of (LOL)..Like Bechtel Corp. Sterns and Rodgers, Ling Engineering, B&W Engineering. And a few more....

Child...When you insert a stick into a hole...Be darn sure what is in that hole! And meters govern the gas pessure admitted to a "branch" pipe line (amoung other things sonny)....

Well, I'd continue. But it would be lost on you, your mouth is open (and only one facuality works for you at a time; Thereforth! Your eyes and ears are closed). Young man! I would suggest that you lean back for a moment and pause to take a breath. Then JUST ignor Hokie's and Carl's posts...It'll do wonders for your blood pressue son.

Now ask yourself just one little question! When other things (which might not be y2k itself) happens! And adds to the repair load of Y2K happenings..At what point do you reach a position of over load on the system? And young one! We are rappidly (or slowly) reaching a saturation point! Make no mistake about that...Y2K is a "TRIGGER"...For all the rest to come. You are simply not seeing the forrest for the trees..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shakey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (i_a_bunke@forty.feet), January 16, 2000.

Thanks Hokie for the informative posts. It is unfortunate that someone posting worthwhile information has to take abuse from the trolls.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000.

Dave- "trolls"?

Interesting comment, and you've been here how long?

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), January 16, 2000.

The problem, at this point, is that (in many cases) there's no frame of reference -- no "baseline," as it were.

If there are 100 power outages (or gas explosions, or whatever) in Youganistan this week, that sounds like a lot.

But if historical data proves that there are an average of 100 outages every week throughout the year -- nothing's really been proven one way or the other. Might be Y2k-related. Might not.

On the other hand, if that historical data says that there are an average of a hundred outages per week, and now we're seeing three hundred per week -- that's enough to make one raise one's eyebrows and go "Hmmmmm..." It's still not absolutely conclusive one way or the other, but there's probably enough there to warrant further investigation, given the timing.

Just a thought.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), January 16, 2000.

So now we're talking about sticking a stick in a hole? I thought the issue was Y2k.

With respect to blood pressure, looks like you are ready to explode. Is this the Time Bomb 2000?

I doubt your CV. I haven't seen any credible facts, just a lot of far reaching speculation. Could Y2k cause some problems? Sure, but if it happens we'll have trouble determining it with all the nonsense being strewn about.

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), January 16, 2000.

read my latest posts...lots more going boom today......

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 16, 2000.

Hokie and Carl,

keep posting. Don't worry about those others. I like reading your posts. No one is going to say the cause is embedded chips etc...we are just going to have to sort out the info and the only way to do that is to collect data.... off or on topic.

Any body going to argue with the scientific theory????

-- Moore dinty Moore (dac@ccrtc.com), January 16, 2000.

Awww Mikey me boy..

The issue is that you (and others) are just now coming into the forum and start off right away to beating your "pigeon" breasts about what should or should not be posted.I for one want a BROAD over view of just what is occuring to the national infrastructure.

Granted...There is much that does not pertain directly to an y2k event. But may/can have an effect on the economy any way! And young man, I have always bridled at the thought of some one deciding for me what is worth my interest to read or not to read. And please...When using letter desinations, be specfic. CV can mean several things, some of them derogatory.

As for loosing my cool? It takes a intellect such as sir Flint or Mr.Decker to do that. And then only because they use logic and reason (which said tactics evade your expertise apparently).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shakey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), January 16, 2000.

Investigators probing fatal Kansas City blast

Reuters
Sunday, January 16, 2000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Investigators said today they believe an explosive device triggered a fatal explosion that obliterated one house, burned another to the ground and shook neighboring homes and businesses for miles around south Kansas City Saturday night.

``All the evidence points to some sort of explosive device,'' said fire department spokesman Phillip Wall.

A large amount of chemicals and pyrotechnic devices similar to those used to make fireworks were discovered in the debris, officials said.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was working with local bomb investigators, and a special team of explosives experts was being flown in from Washington, D.C., to work the case, they said.

The first explosion occurred shortly before 6 p.m. CST. A huge fireball shot into the sky as a series of other successive blasts blew out windows throughout the area.

One man, who was living in the home where the explosives were located, was found dead in the basement, the only section of the home that remained.

Two elderly neighbors, a 90-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man, were forced to flee their home as it became engulfed in flames and burned to the ground.

Another man, who was driving past the area when the blast occurred, suffered minor injuries when a piece of the exploding house flew through his windshield.

Debris from the explosion was spread across three city blocks and fire officials were cautioning that unexploded, incendiary items may still pose a danger to the area.

The south Midtown area where the explosions occurred is an older section of the city populated with single-family homes and several small retail outlets, including a car wash where at least one customer's car windows were blown out.

Fire investigators initially suspected the explosions were triggered by a natural gas leak. But the power of the initial blast made that unlikely, officials said.

[ENDS]

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), January 17, 2000.