Three days after an SUV crashed into a liquid natural gas pipeline in Deer Park, Texas, starting a fire that has been burning continuously, police have confirmed the recovery of human remains from the vehicle on Thursday.
The Deer Park Police Department successfully accessed the site and removed the white vehicle involved in the pipeline fire incident. Subsequently, the Harris County Medical Examiners processed the vehicle and were able to recover human remains during the examination.
Authorities have stated that it will take some time to identify the recovered remains. The incident has now transitioned into a criminal investigation, which will remain active until further details are available.
The fire was ignited when the vehicle crashed through a fence near a Walmart and collided with an above-ground pipeline valve, causing flames and smoke to erupt into the sky. The intense heat from the fire resulted in the melting of parts of nearby homes and vehicles.
Energy Transfer, the pipeline owner, announced on Wednesday that they would extinguish the blaze by cutting off the fuel supply rather than directly combating the fire. The company plans to install isolation equipment to stop the fuel flow, followed by purging the affected section with nitrogen to extinguish the fire and commence necessary repairs.
According to the company, the safest approach to managing the situation is to allow the products to burn off during the process.
