Louisiana Gas Well Explosion Update: Four Workers Injured

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed that Wild Well Control of Houston personnel were on site Tuesday, May 25, 2021, when the well exploded into flames in the Belle Isle Field.

The injured workers had been dispatched to plug an abandoned well permanently earlier in the week.

According to the well’s operator, Houston-based Texas Petroleum Investment Co., a spark triggered the explosion shortly before 3:00 p.m. on May 25^th.

Four contractors suffered burns to their hands and faces.  One of the burn victims was airlifted to a burn unit in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Another burn victim was flown to a burn unit in New Orleans.

The fire was brought under control approximately two hours following the explosion.

Classification of Burns

Burns are classified as first-, second-, or third-degree, depending on how deep and severe they penetrate the skin’s surface.  The higher the degree, the worse the burn:

First-Degree Burns

First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin.  The burn site will have some redness.  It may be painful, dry, and/or blistering.  For first-degree burns, long-term tissue damage is rare and usually consists of skin coloring changes.

Second-Degree Burns

Second-degree burns involve the outer layer and dermis layers of skin. The burn site will be red, blistered, and may be swollen and painful.

Third-Degree Burns

Third-degree burns destroy the outer layer and dermis layers of the skin. Third-degree burns can also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. The burn site will usually be white or charred, and the burn victim will have no sensation in the burn site because the nerve endings are typically destroyed when a person sustains third-degree burns.

Contact a Burn Injury Lawyer at Morrow & Sheppard, LLP

If you were involved in a serious fire or explosion incident, you must work with an experienced Houston burn injury lawyer to discuss your legal options. At Morrow & Sheppard LLP, we have handled more than a billion dollars for our clients throughout the United States. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation. Contact us today! You don’t pay us unless we win your case.

Morrow & Sheppard, LLP represents burn victims in Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana, including those located in Midland, Odessa, Lovington, Houston, Hobbs, Carlsbad, Roswell, Lake Charles, Baton Rogue, Lafayette, and the surrounding communities, and across the United States.