HICKMAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — An explosion happened Friday morning at a gas plant in Hickman County.
The explosion happened around 8:20 a.m. at the Tennessee Gas Pipeline/Kinder Morgan facility located at 2775 Highway 48 North in Nunnelly. A small fire is continuing to burn inside the building as HAZMAT teams work to contain the flames.
The explosion happened at one of the compressor buildings at the natural gas compressor station as a result of an equipment failure, according to Kinder Morgan.
EMA Director Amanda Seigel said the explosion blew out the upper tier of the walls of the building.
One person experienced a medical emergency after the explosion and they were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Officials said everyone on site is OK and accounted for.
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is evacuating anyone within a one-mile radius. A two-mile air restriction has been put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration. A portion of the southbound lanes of Highway 48 in the immediate area is closed to traffic.
The Fairfield church of Christ is currently open for anybody needing shelter for the evacuation in addition to the Nunnelly Community Center. An estimated 200 people are being evacuated.
Fire departments from multiple counties, including a Nashville Fire Department’s HAZMAT unit, have been called in to help assist with the situation.
Kinder Morgan reported the facility has been closed as a precaution.
Centerville Mayor Gary Jacobs told News 2 he was outside and heard the explosion when it happened.
Kinder Morgan will investigate the cause of the explosion.
