COOLIDGE, Ariz. — Two people have died and one woman was injured in a reported explosion near Coolidge.
Coolidge's city manager said the explosion, near SR 87 and E. Randolph Road, involved a Kinder Morgan major gas line. Officials believe the explosion was related to a gas line break.
A woman, identified as Rosalina Alvarez, from a rural farmhouse near the explosion was seriously burned. A Pinal County Sheriff's Office deputy found Alvarez walking on a dirt road.
Rosalina Alvarez told police that two people were unaccounted for. The remains of Luis Alvarez and the couple's 14-year-old daughter Valeria Alvarez were believed to have been found.
The Pinal County Medical Examiner will confirm the identities.
PCSO said at least one home caught on fire in the area.
Kinder Morgan, one of the largest infrastructure companies in the country, said in a statement that its El Paso Natural Gas Company experienced a pipeline failure around 5:30 a.m. The fire at the site has since been extinguished and all employees have been accounted for.
Previous reports from officials suggested there was a gas line worker unaccounted for.
Kinder Morgan went on to say in the statement:
"The company has deployed employees to the area and has isolated the impacted pipeline segment. The company is coordinating with local first responders and relevant state and federal agencies, and an investigation into the cause of the failure will be conducted."
Around 5:45 a.m., officials said multiple residents called in about the loud explosion.
Fire from the explosion closed the north and southbound lanes of State Route 87 for a short time, however lanes are now reopened. Coolidge police is advising people to avoid the area.
Nearby gas lines were shut off, which may affect customers in the area. There are no reported power outages related to the incident.
Animal control from Pinal County was also called out to the area for injured livestock.
There is no known cause of the explosion and officials may not determine one for a while.
This is a developing story. Stay with 12 News for updates.
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