Video: Gas Pipeline Explosion in Louisiana Prompts Investigation

Regulators have launched an investigation after a pipeline exploded on Lake Lery, Louisiana last week. 

On Thursday at about 1600 hours, a 20-inch underwater natural gas pipeline was breached on Lake Lery. The gas ignited on the surface, sending a fireball skyward. By 2130 hours, the line was isolated and valves on either side of the rupture were shut off. 

No injuries were reported, and only a small sheen of pollution was identified on the surface. The leakage is expected to dissipate and weather away without further intervention. 

Independent air-monitoring crews were deployed to assess air quality, and no significant impacts were reported.

A unified command led by the Coast Guard, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and operator High Point Gas Transmission LLC will continue to monitor the situation. 

An investigation into the cause of the pipeline burst is under way. Initial media reports suggested that a barge strike ruptured the pipeline, but a local official disputed that account in an interview with TV channel KLFY. 

The line has been identified as an interstate transmission pipeline under the governance of the U.S. Department of Transportation.