Pipeline Explosion at PDVSA Facility in Venezuela’s Monagas Region Causes Injuries

(Reuters) — A pipeline exploded on Monday at a natural gas complex operated by Petroleos de Venezuela in the country's Eastern Monagas state, leaving five people injured, the state company said.

Outages and accidents at PDVSA's deteriorating facilities are common. Last month, a large fire at a crude storage tank in the country's Western region left more than 20 people with minor burns.

Balls of fire and firefighters working to extinguish them were seen in videos and photos posted by neighbors on social media. The fire left blackened and damaged pipelines and equipment, the photos showed.

The accident forced the facility to a halt, a source close to its operations said. PDVSA's Muscar plant close to Punta de Mata city distributes gas to the company's oilfields for reinjection and to gas processing centers for domestic use.

PDVSA confirmed the accident hours later and said its workers were trying to extinguish the fire, which hit a 26-inch-diameter (66-cm diameter) gas line. An investigation was initiated to determine the cause of the explosion, it said in a release.

Injured people were being transferred to nearby hospitals, PDVSA added.

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