SANTA FE, Texas – Intense flames poured into the night sky hours after a gas line explosion in Santa Fe left multiple contract workers injured near Avenue M and 24th Street.
"Turned around and locked my door and all of a sudden I heard the gas go off and I looked over my shoulder and I saw the tarp they had just flying around," Charles Dickson, who lives nearby and heard the explosion, said.
Neighbors who heard the explosion also immediately saw the fire.
"I heard it, and then not even five minutes after that, I started seeing the flames and then we lost power. CenterPoint cut the power off," Dickson said.
Investigators said the call came in a little after 6 p.m. with reports of several people injured when the gas line exploded and sent a wall of fire several feet high into the air.
A portion of Highway 6 was temporarily shut down as Life Flight was called in to fly two victims who were seriously burned to the hospital.
Three others were also taken to area hospitals by ambulance for their injuries.
Police said the injured men work for a company hired by CenterPoint Energy and were working on the gas line when they apparently struck it, causing the explosion.
"I really hope everything comes through for them ... my prayers go out to their families," Dickson said.
Here is a statement from CenterPoint:
"Earlier this evening CenterPoint Energy was made aware of a natural gas incident in Santa Fe, Texas. Contract crews with Dayton Pipeline were working for CenterPoint Energy when the incident occurred.
"Five contract crew members were transported to UTMB Galveston for treatment as a result of their injuries. Their conditions are unknown at this time. CenterPoint Energy crews remain on site, working closely with emergency responders to secure the area and investigate the cause of the incident. We would like to thank the City of Santa Fe and all of the emergency responders for their support and assistance."