The following is a news release from New Mexico State Police:
Early this morning around 1:46 a.m. the New Mexico State Police were notified of a gas line explosion in Eddy County, near Carter Rd. Hazardous Material Officers responded to the scene to assist, and upon arrival a 2-mile radius was initiated, and evacuations of the area were completed.
No individuals were injured during the incident, and the pipeline contained natural gas. The gas line was subsequently shut off with the contents either being burned off or evaporated into the atmosphere.
US 285 which was initially affected has been re-opened to normal traffic however NM 231 from the intersection with US 285 to Carter Rd. remains closed.
Enterprise Products, the owner of the pipeline with oversight from the New Mexico Minerals and Natural Resources Administration will cut out the affected portion of the pipe and send it to a lab for forensic testing to determine the portion which failed.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, with no further information available at this time.
(News release from New Mexico State Police)
