MISSOURI PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY, CLINTON, MISSOURI, DECEMBER 9, 1972

The report describes and analyzes a gas explosion and fire which occurred on December 9, 1972, in downtown Clinton, Mo. Gas had leaked into a building from a cracked cast-iron main located behind the building. Missouri Public Service Company personnel arrived at the site of the reported leak 50 minutes before the explosion. Eight persons died, and seven others were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the explosion was the ignition of gas that had leaked from a cast-iron main cracked by a combination of soil stresses and railroad vibration, which applied a bending force to the pipe in an area weakened by graphitization. Contributing to the explosion were the failure of the gas company to shut off the flow of gas to the leak site and the inadequate efforts of the gas-company personnel to prevent the ignition of the leaking gas detected in the building.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Pipeline Accident Report.
• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Office of Surface Transportation Safety
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1974-2-27

Media Info

• Pagination: 29 p.

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00056922
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-PAR-74-3
• Files: NTIS
• Created Date: Jul 22 1974 12:00AM