4 Missing After Dredge Hits A Pipeline And Explodes in Corpus Christi

Coast Guard crews respond to a dredge on fire in the Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Aug. 21, 2020. A Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was launched to the scene, hoisted two injured crewmembers, and transferred them to Corpus Christi Medical Center – Bay Area. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

(Reuters) – Four members of the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd are missing after a fire and explosion near the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, causing the U.S. Coast Guard to close the port’s inner harbor, the agency said.

Two injured crew members have been rescued from the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd after it caught fire, while a search for missing crew members continues, the Coast Guard said.

The fire started shortly after 9:00 AM ET (1300 GMT) in an area referred to as “refinery row” because of its proximity to several refining facilities, according to a spokeswoman for the Corpus Christi fire department.

Corpus Christi is home to a number of oil refineries and shipping ports, and has become an important exporting locale for crude oil. Valero on Friday said operations at its refinery were normal.

The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Inner Harbor from Harbor Bridge inward of the Port of Corpus Christi ship channel.

UPDATE:

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has closed the Inner Harbor from Harbor Bridge inward of the Port of Corpus Christi ship channel in Texas after a dredging vessel fire.

Two injured crew members have been rescued from the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd after it caught fire, while a search for four missing crew members continues, the Coast Guard said.

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This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license.

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