MEC&F Expert Engineers : 08/24/16

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Families of 2 roughnecks electrocuted to death at oilfield site sue three energy firms in Dallas court





 



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Laban Robokoff (left), 26; Harvey McKinney (center), 38; and Steven McKinney, 34.



By Caleb Downs Follow @calebjdowns cdowns@dallasnews.com

Breaking News reporter

Published: 24 August 2016 11:53 AM
Updated: 24 August 2016 12:52 PM

The families of two men who were electrocuted while working on an oil well in West Texas in 2014 are suing three Texas energy companies.

The wrongful-death lawsuit, filed last week in Dallas court, alleges that the companies created an "ultra-hazardous" work environment by placing a power line next to an oil well.

The families say the two men who were electrocuted, and another man who was severely shocked but survived, had so much electricity passing through their bodies that arcs shot from their extremities and caused a grass fire.


The families of Laban Robokoff and Harvey McKinney filed a suit against Sharyland Utilities, Quantum Resources Management and Tessco Energy Services on Friday in district court.

"I've handled some explosion and burn death cases, but I've never seen a case as tragic, horrible and gruesome as this one," said David Smith, one of the attorneys representing the Robokoffs and McKinneys.

Representatives from Quantum Resources Management were not immediately available for comment. Melanie Okon, an attorney for Tessco Energy Co., said the company is currently investigating the incident and declined to comment.

Jeanne Phillips, a spokeswoman for Sharyland Utilities, said the company has fully cooperated with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and law enforcement investigating the accident.

"While Sharyland Utilities has a longstanding policy of not commenting on pending legal matters, and even though Sharyland personnel were not involved in this sad occurrence, still we want to express our continued sympathy and sorrow for those families and individuals who were tragically impacted by this incident in August 2014," Phillips said.

Harvey McKinney, 38, and Robokoff, 26, were working on an oil well owned by Quantum Resources Management in Colorado City on Aug. 20, 2014, the suit says. McKinney's brother, Steven McKinney; their father, Doyle McKinney; and David Wright were also at the work site that day.

Their job was to remove an electric pump from the oil well. To do so, they had to back up a truck with a crane close to the well, attach a winch line to the pump and lift it off the well.


OSHA regulations require all power lines to be at least 10 feet from an oil well, but Smith said the power lines and oil well are situated in such a way as to make it "impossible" to work on them farther than 10 feet away. According to the suit, Tessco Energy Co. installed the power lines next to the well.

Wright, who was driving the truck, backed it up into a nearby power line while Robokoff was holding the winch line, ready to attach it to the pump. Thousands of volts of electricity passed through his body and exited out of his extremities, causing a grass fire, Smith says.

"The autopsy photos are just horrible," Smith said.

Harvey McKinney saw Robokoff, who is referred to as his "adopted brother" in his obituary, being electrocuted and rushed to the truck to grab the fire extinguisher. Upon touching the truck, though, he was also electrocuted.

Steven McKinney then tried to separate his brother from the truck, but when he touched McKinney, he, too, was shocked. He survived, but his fingertips were burned off "to where there was nothing left of the flesh," according to Smith.

Robokoff and Harvey McKinney died at the scene, and Steven McKinney was flown to a hospital in Lubbock for specialty treatment.

Meanwhile, Doyle McKinney, who had tagged along that day to watch his two sons work, instead watched as one of his sons died and the other was severely injured.

"He could see the sparks," Smith said. "He could smell the smell. How could you live with yourself after seeing that? Living for him is a constant struggle."

The suit accuses Sharyland Utilities, Quantum Resources Management and Tessco Energy Services of gross negligence for creating a hazardous work environment. Also included in the suit is David Wright, who drove the truck into the power lines.

"It's a 'Why not?' situation," said Smith, one of the attorneys representing the Robokoffs and McKinneys. "Why not do something to prevent even the likelihood of something like this from happening? I don't understand the mentality of it."




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Two dead, one injured in Mitchell County oilfield electrocution

BY: LaGarde Law
Sep 15

On August 20, a team of three Texan oilfield workers were removing a pump jack when one of its cables struck a power line overhead. The connection electrocuted Laban Robokoff, 24, and Harvey McKinney, 36, killing them both. CPR was performed, but they were pronounced dead enroute to the hospital. Steven McKinney, 32, Harvey McKinney’s brother, was taken to a Colorado City hospital, then flown to a hospital in Lubbuck, where he is expected to recover steadily.

The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office stated that McKinney may be ready for release within a few days. Sheriff Patrick Toombs outlined the accident. According to his statement, the McKinneys and Robokoff were disassembling the pump jack in order to move it with a winch truck.

As the truck backed up, Robokoff was pulling back a cable of the jack, which was in contact with the truck. When the cable touched the power line, it electrocuted Robokoff. Harvey McKinney, who was walking behind the truck, touched it in response. The power surged through the cable to the vehicle, killing McKinney as well. The driver of the truck was not injured. Toombs said that officials are currently unsure why the cable struck the electric line.

All three were employed by Rayco Pumping Unit Service of Midland.

OSHA has launched an investigation into the incident. Investigators have not yet determined fault in the accident. Potential factors include the location and height of the power line, equipment failure, lack of supervision and unsafe working conditions in the oil field. Careful consideration will be required before any conclusions can be drawn.

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Overview of Worker Deaths Involving Support Activities in Oil and Gas Operations

By KYLA RETZER, SOPHIA RIDL AND CHRISTA HALE
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health


Among well servicing companies who provide oil and gas extraction support activities, a 33 percent decrease in fatality rates was observed, despite a 245 percent increase in the workforce.

Recently, NIOSH analyzed and published an article describing trends in oil and gas extraction worker fatality rates during 2003–2013. We found that fatality rates decreased significantly, despite tremendous industry growth. Among well servicing companies who provide oil and gas extraction support activities, a 33 percent decrease in fatality rates was observed, despite a 245 percent increase in the workforce. This improvement is undoubtedly due to the efforts of many to improve the health and safety of the workforce and should be celebrated. However, workers continue to be injured and killed on oil and gas wellsites and little is known or being reported about these events.

In 2014, NIOSH launched a new database to collect information on oil and gas extraction worker deaths. It is called the “Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction” database or FOG. The database contains variables specific to the oil and gas extraction industry with the purpose of better characterizing hazards to workers. To develop FOG, we worked closely with industry health and safety experts, trade associations, Association of Energy Service Companies (AESC), International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), American Petroleum Institute (API), National STEPS Network, OSHA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and OSHA Education Centers.

NIOSH will use FOG data to develop summary reports and special topic reports. Reports will contain descriptions of identified fatal incidents, maps pinpointing fatality sites, and the number of fatalities organized by operation type and other categories. Following is a brief summary of what we have identified about worker deaths during oil and gas support activities for the first half of 2014. Please look for the full report to be published very soon on our website: www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/fog/.

Summary of Worker Deaths, January–June 2014

We identified 26 oil and gas support activity workers who died from January to June 2014. Twenty-four (24) of the workers who were fatally injured worked for companies that provide “support activities for oil and gas operations” (NAICS 213112) and two workers were employed by “specialized freight” companies (NAICS 4842). In this report, we provide a description of the fatalities by the type of event. Table A shows the number of fatalities by the type of operation being performed.

Explosions—Explosions caused five worker deaths in three separate incidents, two involved high pressure and one was caused by flammable materials. In the first incident, two workers died during a coiled tubing operation. A pipe connection started leaking while fluid was being pumped into the well bore. In an attempt to stop the leak, a worker struck the pipe connection with a hammer, causing the pressurized pipe to explode. In the second incident, two workers died in a high-pressure explosion of a sand separator that did not have a pressure relief valve. An improper valve line-up caused pressure buildup in the sand separator. The fifth worker died in an explosion in a welding shop when he was working on top of a crude oil storage tank that contained explosive gases and vapors.

Struck-by—Four workers died during struck-by incidents. The first worker died when he was crushed by equipment that unintentionally disconnected from a crane on a hydraulic fracturing worksite. The second worker died during rig maintenance while he was working from a material basket that was not secured to the forklift. The basket fell off the forklift and the worker was crushed by the basket. The third worker died when a service rig floor fell on him as it was being winched up and the cable bridle broke. The fourth worker died when the clothing of an excavator operator unintentionally activated the excavator bucket joystick. The bucket struck the head of the worker, who was on the ground next to the excavator.

Exposure—Five workers died during exposure to harmful gases or vapors. One worker died in a mobile heating unit when he went to investigate an issue with the heaters. It is suspected the worker died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Four workers died while collecting samples or manually gauging crude oil production tanks. Three of the workers were truckers and one worker was a flow tester. Hydrogen sulfide was determined to not be a factor. Overexposure to hydrocarbon gases and vapors is believed to be a contributing factor in these deaths. (NOTE: for more information on these and other similar deaths, please see the FOG special report at: http://www. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/fog/data.html. To see the Hazard Alert issued by the National STEPS Network and its partners, go to: http://www. nationalstepsnetwork.org/docs_ tank_gauging/.

Off-Site Motor Vehicle Incident—Three workers died in a motor vehicle crash when their van collided with a school bus. The seven-man crew was returning from a 24-hour shift. Driver fatigue is believed to be a factor. The workers who died were not wearing seatbelts.

On-Site Motor Vehicle Incident— One worker died in an on-site vehicle incident when a welding truck backed into a worker who was engaged in winching activities.

Fall—A worker died from a 30-foot fall when he reached inbetween the guardrail system and fell through the guard rails.

Fire—A worker died in a fire while he was removing a valve on the heater treater. The heater treater began to leak and caught on fire.

Electrocution—One worker was electrocuted when a rig-up truck made contact with overhead power lines. A three-man crew was removing a pump jack from a well site using a rig-up truck equipped with an A-frame boom.

Undetermined—Five worker deaths contained insufficient information to determine work relatedness or cause of death (not associated with tank gauging or sampling).

Summary

There has been a recent decrease in worker fatality rates and this improvement in safety is to be commended. However, workers continue to be injured and killed on oil and gas wellsites and it is important to remain vigilant. Companies should frequently evaluate their operations and implement controls and safeguards where necessary to prevent similar incidents at their worksites. The Hierarchy of Controls (Chart A) is a well-established approach for determining the most effective methods to protect workers and can help guide the selection of controls necessary to prevent these hazards.

Well servicing companies provide a wide range of services to bring a well into production and keep it maintained. As a result, hazards will vary by the operation and task. Reviewing your company’s incidents (including near misses) will help your company to identify your greatest hazards.

NIOSH Can Use Your Help

Our FOG system does have limitations. We do not currently capture all deaths in the industry, especially deaths to workers resulting from motor vehicle crashes. We need help from industry in identifying worker deaths. If you become aware of an oil and gas worker who dies while working, we would greatly appreciate notification at nioshoilgasfog@cdc.gov. The information you provide could help to improve safety for workers in this industry.

Missouri Leads OSHA Region 7 in Workplace Deaths Since October with 24 of 45 Deaths






Updated 08/24 2016 12:22PM


There have been 45 workplace deaths since October in a four state region - 24 of those have been in Missouri. That’s according to OSHA acting regional administrator Bonita Winingham.

“Missouri has more employers than the other states. So if you look at it based on employees that are exposed to determine what the ratio is in relation to the workers, we have to look at it more that way than just total aggregate number,” says Winingham.

OSHA’s Region 7 covers private business employees in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Iowa has its own state OSHA program that covers public and private workers. Federal OSHA has jurisdiction in Iowa for federal agencies, government-owned contractor facilities and businesses that load and unload barges.

OSHA covers approximately 182,500 businesses in Missouri, nearly 82,000 in Kansas and more than 67,000 in Nebraska.

Winingham says two or three heat related deaths have also occurred this year in the region - all being in Missouri.

She wants employers to work with OSHA to try to ensure worker safety.

“There’s a myth out there that if you call OSHA for help, you’re going to be inspected. That is not the case. Our goal is really to help these employers improve the safety and health in their workplaces so all those employees go home safe and healthy to their families at the end of the day,” says Winingham.

Employers can get advice by calling OSHA’s Hotline: 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or by going to its website: www.osha.gov

Roofing worker with Joe Campbell Roofing Inc. of Wilkesboro, NC dies one week after fall at Oak Gables on Aug. 17


Roofing company employee dies after fall at Oak Gables on Aug. 17


  Updated: 4:28 pm, Wed Aug 24, 2016.

 
A man injured when he fell from a roof south of Wilkesboro died Tuesday at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, said Neal O’Briant, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Labor (DOL).

The victim was Tim Porter, 24, of Hays, a 2010 graduate of North Wilkes High School.

O’Briant said Porter was employed by Joe Campbell Roofing Inc. of Wilkesboro and was working for the company on a roof in the Oak Gables subdivision along Country Club Road on Aug. 17 when he fell.

He said Porter was installing felt on the roof of a two-story house when he lost balance, attempted to jump but got his foot caught on a gutter and fell head first 22 to 25 feet to the ground.

Porter landed on a concrete sidewalk and suffered a fractured skull, pelvis and left wrist, said O’Briant.

The house were the fall occurred was on Northfield Drive in the south end of Oak Gables.

Emergency personnel were dispatched at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 17. Wilkes Emergency Medical Services and Moravian Falls, Broadway and Boomer fire department first responders were on the scene.

A Baptist AirCare helicopter flew Porter to Wake Forest Baptist.

O’Briant said investigators from the Occupational, Safety and Health (OSH) Division of the DOL will look into the death to determine if OSH standards were violated.

He noted that such investigations can take four months to complete and can result in civil penalties and required corrective action.

Regarding the particular circumstances in Porter’s fall, he said, investigators will seek to determine if:

• full protection was provided for employees working on roofs six or more feet above lower levels;

• guardrail systems included a top rail and mid rail;

• the employer developed a training program for workers who might be exposed to fall hazards;

• employees were trained on fall hazards;

• personal protective equipment included slip-resistant steek-toed work shoes, hard hat and personal fall arrest system;

• ladders used to access a roof were inspected for structural defects.

According to information O’Briant provided, falls from elevations were the cause of 10 out of 40 fatalities the DOL investigated between Oct. 1, 2013, and Sept. 30, 2014.

An unlicensed exterminator who was not wearing protective gear received hundreds of bee stings and has now died in Arizona


 




Firefighters attend to a man stung hundreds of times by bees on Friday, Aug, 5. (Source: FOX5) LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -





Worker stung hundreds of times dies Posted: Aug 22, 2016 8:43 PM EST Updated: Aug 22, 2016 8:43 PM EST
Written by Craig Hube

Clark County officials on Monday reported a worker who was stung numerous times by bees in the southwest Valley on Aug. 4 has died.

Jose Moreno Pacheco, 49, of Las Vegas, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Aug. 18.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death. It’s expected the investigation will take up to eight weeks to complete.

About 9 a.m. on Aug. 4, exterminators, who were in the employ of an unlicensed business, were working to remove bees from a home located near Grand Canyon Drive and West Oquendo Road.

Pacheco, who was not wearing protective gear, was stung hundreds of times. He was taken to Southern Hills Hospital.

There were no other injuries reported.



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Unprotected exterminator stung hundreds of times, hospitalized Posted: Aug 04, 2016 8:01 PM EST Updated: Aug 04, 2016 8:01 PM EST
Written by Craig Huber


Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling reported an exterminator who was not wearing protective gear received hundreds of bee stings Thursday morning.

The incident was reported about 9:15 a.m. at a home located in the southwest Valley.

Welling said two or three exterminators were working to remove bees from a home located near Grand Canyon Drive and West Oquendo Road when the attack occurred.

Two Clark County firefighters donned protective gear and pulled the victim out of the affected area. The patient was taken to Southern Hills Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Welling said the other exterminators were wearing protective clothing and were not stung. There were no other injuries reported.

Clark County provided the following safety tips:

  • If you encounter bees, do not disturb them. Remain calm and quietly move away.
  • If bees attack, run away in a straight line and take shelter inside a building or vehicle.
  • If you come under attack, use your arms, hands or shirt to shield your face and eyes from stings as bees will target the eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Do not flail your arms, scream or try to fight the bees. This will make them more agitated.

For more information on bee safety see below.


Copyright 2016 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.



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Bee Safety Information
Warmer weather and increased outdoor activity boosts the possibility of people encountering bees in Southern Nevada. Bees tend to be most active from the spring to the fall, when they are colonizing and looking to set up hives, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture. A swarm of bees is generally not harmful unless disturbed. They are moving from place to place to colonize new hives. Bee hives can be dangerous and should be removed by a professional exterminator using appropriate safety gear and clothing, especially if found in a residential area or area frequented by the public. If a hive is found on private property, it is the responsibility of the property owner to hire a pest control company to exterminate the bees. For your safety, do not try to destroy a hive yourself.
  • The Nevada Pest Management Association maintains a list of licensed removal services on its Bee Hotline at (702) 385-5853 and via its website at www.nevadapca.org.
  • The Nevada Department of Agriculture website also offers lists of licensed pest control companies professional beekeepers:
  • Bees on public property should be reported to the respective government agency for control.  Bee hives in County parks or on County property can be reported to our Dept. of Real Property Management: (702) 455-4616.
Bee Safety Tips:
  • If you accidentally encounter bees, do not disturb them. Remain calm and quietly move away until bees are out of sight.
  • If bees attack, run away in a straight line and take shelter inside a car or building as soon as possible.
  • If under attack, use your arms and hands or shirt to shield your face and eyes from stings. (Bees will attack the eyes, nose and mouth.) Do not try to fight the bees. They have the advantage of numbers and gift of flight. Do not scream. Do not swat at bees or wave your arms. The more you flail your arms, the madder the bees will get.
  • Do not jump into water or thick brush, which do not provide adequate protection. If you jump into water, bees will attack you when you come up for air.
  • After an attack, bees will continue to be agitated by loud or humming noises such as barking dogs, lawnmowers, weed eaters and flashing lights.
  • If you are stung, remove the stinger by scraping it out and washing the area with soap and water and applying a cold pack to the sting site. When a bee stings, it leaves a stinger in the skin. This kills the bee so it can’t sting again but the venom remains.
  • If someone is stung by a bee and becomes dizzy, nauseated or has difficulty breathing, an allergic reaction to the sting may be occurring. This is a serious medical emergency and 9-1-1 should be called for immediate medical treatment.
  • If you are stung more than 10 times, you should seek medical attention as a precaution. Reaction to bee venom takes several hours, which may cause you to feel sick later.
Preventing bee sting incidents
  • The best way to avoid a stinging incident is to avoid bee colonies and prevent them from establishing a hive in your yard. Listen for buzzing indicating a nest or swarm of bees.
  • If you find a swarm or colony, leave it alone and keep your family and pets away. Contact a professional pest control company to remove the bees.
  • Check around your house and yard every four to six months for any signs of bees taking up residence.
  • Wear light-colored clothing when you are outdoors. Dark colors can attract bees.
  • If you are sensitive to bee stings, check with your doctor about bee sting kits and proper procedures, or if you start having a reaction to stings such as difficulty breathing call 9-1-1.
  • When you are outdoors or in a wilderness area, be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye out for bees the way you would watch out for snakes and other natural dangers. But don't panic at the sight of a few bees foraging in the flowers. Bees are generally very docile as they go about their work. Unless you do something to irritate or threaten bees, they generally will not bother you.
  • When working or hiking outdoors, consider carrying a small hand kerchief or mosquito net device that fits over the head and can be carried in a pocket. People who have been attacked say the worst part is having the bees sting your face and eyes. Any impairment to your vision makes escape more difficult. A blanket, coat, towel or similar item placed over your head can give you momentary relief as you run away as fast as possible.

Tranz Shop Auto shop employee seriously injured when a pickup truck fell off a lift and struck him while he was underneath it



Man injured, airlifted after truck falls off lift, strikes man at Batavia auto shop


A helicopter landed near the intersection of East Wilson Street and B Road in Batavia in response to an accident. (Bing Maps)

Hannah Leone Aurora Beacon-News

BATAVIA, IL


An auto shop employee was airlifted for injuries sustained Tuesday when a pickup truck fell off a lift and struck him while he was underneath it at the business on the city's east side, according to Batavia police sources.

Batavia police and fire agencies responded to the incident at 8:43 a.m. Tuesday at Tranz Shop in the 1700 block of East Wilson Street. Police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are continuing to investigate what they called an industrial accident, according to a police department news release.

By the time first responders arrived, another employee at the shop had removed the man from under the truck, according to police.

A voicemail left at a number listed for Tranz Shop was not immediately returned Tuesday.

 The man who was injured was an employee at the shop, said Batavia Police Det. Kevin Bretz. Police could not yet confirm his age and authorities have not released his name, pending notification of his family.

He was airlifted to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where police said his condition was unknown at the time of the news release. Police have no further information on the man's injuries, although they were serious enough for the airlift, Bretz said.

Fermilab was contacted about providing a space for a helicopter to land for an emergency medical evacuation, which they did, spokesman Andre Salles said. The helicopter landed around the intersection of East Wilson Street and B Road, near the western edge of Fermilab property, Salles said.

The accident itself did not occur on Fermilab property, Salles said.

HURRICANES: Mid-August through mid-October accounts for 78 percent of the tropical storm days, 87 percent of the category 1 and 2 hurricane days and a whopping 96 percent of the major (category 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days




August 22, 2016

Although the Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1st, we’re now entering the “season within the season” - a roughly eight-week period that is often the most active and dangerous time for tropical cyclone activity.








From mid-August through mid-October, the activity spikes, accounting for 78 percent of the tropical storm days, 87 percent of the category 1 and 2 hurricane days (Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale), and a whopping 96 percent of the major (category 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days.

Why does this peak period of activity begin so deep into summer? There certainly is no lack of disturbances throughout the entire six-month hurricane season. Tropical waves are coming off of the coast of Africa roughly every three days, and the very early and late parts of the year provide additional types of potential seedlings. What’s different, though, is the environment that these potential tropical cyclones tend to encounter. Both dynamics (wind factors) and thermodynamics (temperature and moisture) play a role.

Wind shear, which can tear disturbances apart before they strengthen, is strong in May, but gradually fades through June and July, reaching a minimum by mid to late August. This minimum in the shear combines with favorable thermodynamics – ocean temperatures in the deep tropics that increase with each day of summer sun, warmer air temperatures, and increasing atmospheric moisture. When the dynamics and thermodynamics are in sync, as they often are from mid-August through early October, disturbances like African tropical waves can easily strengthen. The statistical peak day of the hurricane season – the day you are most likely to find a tropical cyclone somewhere in the Atlantic basin – is September 10th.



The number of tropical storm and hurricane days for the Atlantic Basin (the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico) jumps markedly by mid-August (NOAA)

By mid-October, when winter begins to give autumn a little nudge, strong upper-level winds bring increased wind shear to much of the Atlantic basin, while both the air and water temperatures cool. The season is not over yet, but the areas where storms can form become limited.

One thing that doesn’t change as we move into and out of the peak of season is the need to be vigilant and prepared. Because it doesn’t matter whether activity levels are high or low – it only takes one storm to make it a bad year for you. For more information about hurricane season please visit NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

At least 2 tornado touchdowns in Kokomo, Indiana; damages are reported



















(Courtesy of Aaron Baber)

Updated 2 mins ago
INDIANAPOLIS -- The National Weather Service is reporting at least two tornadoes have struck central and north central Indiana.

The weather service issued a tornado warning saying a "confirmed large and destructive tornado was about 10 miles east of Kokomo," or about 40 miles north of Indianapolis

Meteorologist Dave Tucek says a tornado moved from the southwest side of Kokomo to the east-central side of that city. He says there are reports of damage but he had no specifics.

An official in the Howard County Emergency Management office said preliminary assessment has not reported only minor injuries so far.

"We are still in assessment mode as to the extent of the damages," the official said.

Local television station WTHR showed images of downed trees and a damaged Starbucks in the area.


The weather service also says Indiana State Police observed a tornado northwest of the Montgomery County town of New Ross, or about 35 miles northwest of Indianapolis, and moving east.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.
WLS-TV contributed to this report.

Refueling truck collision with a pole at Sky Harbor Airport causes fuel leak in AZ





 
A refuel tank was punctured, leading to jet fuel leak. No flights were effected, no injuries reported.
 
(Photo: Phoenix Fire Department)

12 News , KPNX 6:25 PM. MST August 23, 2016

 Phoenix, AZ - The Phoenix Fire Department say the tank of a refueling truck carrying jet fuel was punctured after the driver hit a pole while making a turn at Sky Harbor Airport.

The truck was spilling fuel on the ground and hazmat crews were called to secure the leak.

According to Phoenix fire, the hazmat team will be working to transfer the fuel from the damaged tank to another truck. The lengthy operation has numerous crews on scene for safety reasons and equipment.

There were no injuries or evacuations. Airport operations were not impacted.

At least 247 dead after strong earthquake shakes central Italy; mostly old, non-code compliant structures collapse






Italian authorities say that the death toll from Wednesday's earthquake in the central part of the country has risen to 247. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Updated 1 hr 52 mins ago

ROME -- Rescue crews raced against time Thursday looking for survivors from the earthquake that leveled three towns in central Italy, but the death toll rose to 247 and Italy once again anguished over trying to secure its medieval communities built on seismic lands.

Dawn broke over the rolling hills of central Lazio and Le Marche regions after a night of uninterrupted search efforts. Aided by sniffer dogs and audio equipment, firefighters and rescue crews using their bare hands pulled chunks of cement, rock and metal apart from mounds of rubble where homes once stood searching for signs of life.
PHOTOS: Deadly earthquake in Italy








A woman on a wheelchair is pushed past a partially collapsed building is seen in the background following an earthquake, in Accumoli. (Andrew Medichini/AP Photo)

One area of focus was the Hotel Roma in Amatrice, famous for the Amatriciana bacon and tomato pasta sauce that brings food lovers to this medieval hilltop town each August for its food festival.

Amatrice's mayor had initially said 70 guests were in the crumbled hotel ahead of this weekend's festival, but rescue workers later halved that estimate after the owner said most guests managed to escape.

Firefighters' spokesman Luca Cari said that one body had been pulled out of the hotel rubble just before dawn but that the search continued there and elsewhere, even as 460 aftershocks rattled the area after the magnitude 6 temblor struck at 3:36 a.m. on Wednesday.

"We're still in a phase that allows us to hope we'll find people alive," Cari said, noting that in the 2009 earthquake in nearby L'Aquila a survivor was pulled out after 72 hours.

Worst affected by the quake were the tiny towns of Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Rome, and Pescara del Tronto, 25 kilometers (15 miles) further east.


Italy's civil protection agency reported the death toll had risen to 247 early Thursday with at least 264 others hospitalized. Most of the dead - 190 - were in Amatrice and Accumuli and their nearby hamlets.

"From here everyone survived," said Sister Mariana, one of three nuns and an elderly woman who survived the quake that pancaked half of her Amatrice convent.

"They saved each other, they took their hands even while it was falling apart, and they ran, and they survived."

She said that others from another part of the convent apparently didn't make it: Three other nuns and four elderly women.

The civil protection agency set up tent cities around the affected towns to accommodate the homeless, 1,200 of whom took advantage of the offer to spend the night, civil protection officials said Thursday. In Amatrice, some 50 elderly and children spent the night inside a local sports facility.


"It's not easy for them," said civil protection volunteer Tiziano De Carolis, helping to care for about 350 homeless in Amatrice.

"They have lost everything, the work of an entire life, like those who have a business, a shop, a pharmacy, a grocery store and from one day to another they discovered everything they had was destroyed."

As the search effort continued, the soul-searching began once again as Italy confronted the effects of having the highest seismic hazard in Western Europe, some of its most picturesque medieval villages, and anti-seismic building codes that aren't applied to old buildings and often aren't respected when new ones are built.

"In a country where in the past 40 years there have been at least eight devastating earthquakes ... the only lesson we have learned is to save lives after the fact," columnist Sergio Rizzo wrote in Thursday's Corriere della Sera. "We are far behind in the other lessons."

Experts estimate that 70 percent of Italy's buildings aren't built to anti-seismic standards. After every major quake, proposals are made to improve, but they often languish in Italy's thick bureaucracy, funding shortages and the huge scope of trying to secure thousands of ancient towns and newer structures built before codes were passed or after the codes were in effect but in violation of them.





This map shows the epicenter of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked central Italy. (USGS)


In recent quakes, some of these more modern buildings have been the deadliest: the university dormitory that collapsed in the 2009 L'Aquila quake, killing 11 students; the elementary school that crumbled in San Giuliano di Puglia in 2002, killing 26 children - the town's entire first-grade class. In some cases, the anti-seismic building standards have been part of the problem, including using reinforced cement for roofs that are then too heavy for weak walls when quakes strike.

Premier Matteo Renzi, visiting the quake-affected zone Wednesday, promised to rebuild "and guarantee a reconstruction that will allow residents to live in these communities, to relaunch these beautiful towns that have a wonderful past that will never end."

While the government is already looking ahead to reconstruction, rescue workers on the ground still had days and weeks of work ahead of them. In hard-hit Pescara del Tronto, firefighter Franco Mantovan said early Thursday that crews knew of three residents still under the rubble, but in a hard-to-reach area.

In the evening there, about 17 hours after the quake struck, firefighters pulled a 10-year-old girl alive from a crumbled home.

"You can hear something under here. Quiet, quiet," one rescue worker said, before soon urging her on: "Come on, Giulia, come on, Giulia."

Cheers broke out when she was pulled out.

But there were wails when bodies emerged.

"Unfortunately, 90 percent we pull out are dead, but some make it, that's why we are here," said Christian Bianchetti, a volunteer from Rieti who was working in devastated Amatrice.





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At least 120 people have been killed after an earthquake hit central Italy. Rescue crews are in a desperate race to dig survivors out of the rubble. (AP)

Updated 1 hr 1 min ago

ROME -- Rescue crews using bulldozers and their bare hands raced to dig out survivors from a strong earthquake that reduced three central Italian towns to rubble Wednesday. The death toll stood at 120, but the number of dead and missing was uncertain given the huge number of vacationers in the area for summer's final days.

Residents wakened before dawn by the temblor emerged from their crumbled homes to find what they described as apocalyptic scenes "like Dante's Inferno," with entire blocks of buildings turned into piles of sand and rock, thick dust choking the air and a putrid smell of gas.


PHOTOS: Deadly earthquake in Italy








A woman on a wheelchair is pushed past a partially collapsed building is seen in the background following an earthquake, in Accumoli. (Andrew Medichini/AP Photo)

"The town isn't here anymore," said Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor of the hardest-hit town, Amatrice. "I believe the toll will rise."

The magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, including Rome, where residents woke to a long swaying followed by aftershocks. The temblor shook the Lazio region and Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.

Premier Matteo Renzi visited the zone Wednesday, greeted rescue teams and survivors and said the casualty toll stood at 120 dead and was likely to rise. Another at least 368 were injured. He promised the quake-prone area that "No family, no city, no hamlet will be left behind."

Hardest hit were the tiny towns of Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Rome, and Pescara del Tronto, some 25 kilometers further east. Italy's civil protection agency, which was coordinating the rescue and care for survivors, said dozens were injured and thousands in need of temporary housing, though it stressed the numbers were fluid.


Italy's health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, visiting the devastated area, said many of the victims were children: The quake zone is a popular spot for Romans with second homes, and the population swells in August when most Italians take their summer holiday before school resumes.

The medieval center of Amatrice was devastated, with the hardest-hit half of the city cut off by rescue crews digging by hand to get to trapped residents. The birthplace of the famed spaghetti all'amatriciana bacon and tomato sauce, it is made up of 69 hamlets that teams from around Italy were working to reach with sniffer dogs, earth movers and other heavy equipment.



Rocks and metal tumbled onto the streets of the city center and dazed residents huddled in piazzas as more than 200 aftershocks jolted the region into the early morning hours, some as strong as magnitude 5.1.

"The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me," marveled resident Maria Gianni. "I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn't hit, luckily, just slightly injured my leg."

Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she didn't know what had become of her loved ones.

"It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there's nothing left," she said, too distraught to give her name. "I don't know what we'll do."



"We need chain saws, shears to cut iron bars and jacks to remove beams. Everything, we need everything," civil protection worker Andrea Gentili told The Associated Press in the early hours of the recovery. Italy's national blood drive association appealed for donations to Rieti's hospital.

Despite a massive rescue and relief effort - with army, Alpine crews, carabineri, firefighters, Red Cross crews and volunteers, it wasn't enough: A few miles (kilometers) north of Amatrice, in Illica, residents complained that rescue workers were slow to arrive and that loved ones were trapped.

"We are waiting for the military," said resident Alessandra Cappellanti. "There is a base in Ascoli, one in Rieti, and in L'Aquila. And we have not seen a single soldier. We pay! It's disgusting!"


Agostino Severo, a Rome resident visiting Illica, said workers eventually arrived after an hour or so. "We came out to the piazza, and it looked like Dante's Inferno," he said. "People crying for help, help."

The magnitude 6 quake's epicenter was located near Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto and had a shallow depth of just four kilometers, Italy's geological institute said. Generally, shallow earthquakes pack a bigger punch and tend to be more damaging than deeper quakes.

"The Apennine mountains in central Italy have the highest seismic hazard in Western Europe and earthquakes of this magnitude are common," noted Dr Richard Walters, a lecturer in Earth sciences at Durham University in Britain.





This map shows the epicenter of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked central Italy. (USGS)

The head of Italy's civil protection service, Fabrizio Curcio, noted that the region is popular with Romans escaping the heat of the capital to their country houses, swelling the population during the summer months. This weekend, Amatrice was due to celebrate its annual festival honoring its native pasta dish, possibly adding to the number of people in town.

The devastation harked back to the 2009 quake that killed more than 300 people in and around L'Aquila, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the latest quake. The town, which still hasn't fully recovered, sent emergency teams Wednesday to help with the rescue and set up tent camps for residents unwilling to stay indoors because of aftershocks.

"I don't know what to say. We are living this immense tragedy," said a tearful Rev. Savino D'Amelio, a parish priest in Amatrice. "We are only hoping there will be the least number of victims possible and that we all have the courage to move on."

Another hard-hit town was Pescara del Tronto, in the Le Marche region, where the main road was covered in debris.

Residents were digging their neighbors out by hand since emergency crews hadn't yet arrived in force. Aerial photos taken by regional firefighters showed the town essentially flattened and under a thick gray coat of dust; Italy requested EU satellite images of the whole area to get the scope of the damage.

"There are broken liquor bottles all over the place," said Gino Petrucci, owner of a bar in nearby Arquata Del Tronto where he was beginning the long cleanup.

One rescue was particularly delicate as a ranger in Capodacqua, in the Marche province of Ascoli Piceno, diplomatically tried to keep an 80-year-old woman calm as she begged to get to a toilet, even though she was trapped in the rubble.

"Listen, I know it's not nice to say but if you need to pee you just do it," he said. "Now I move away a little bit and you do pee, please."

The mayor of Accumoli, Stefano Petrucci, said a family of four had died there, one of the few young families who had decided to stay in the area. He wept as he noted that the tiny hamlet of 700 swells to 2,000 in the summer months, and that he feared for the future of the town.

"I hope they don't forget us," he told Sky TG24.

A 1997 quake killed a dozen people in central Italy and severely damaged one of the jewels of Umbria, the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, filled with Giotto frescoes. The Franciscan friars who are the custodians of the basilica reported no immediate damage from Wednesday's temblor.

Pope Francis skipped his traditional catechism for his Wednesday general audience and instead invited the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square to recite the rosary with him. He also sent a six-man squad from the Vatican's fire department to help with the rescue.

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Diana Rocco reporting live (Francesco Rocca/Twitter)

By PAOLO SANTALUCIA and NICOLE WINFIELD
Updated 48 mins ago

AMATRICE, Italy -- A strong earthquake in central Italy reduced three towns to rubble as people slept early Wednesday, with reports that as many as 50 people were killed and hundreds injured as rescue crews raced to dig out survivors.

The toll was likely to rise as crews reached homes in more remote hamlets where the scenes were apocalyptic "like Dante's Inferno," according to one witness.

"The town isn't here anymore," said Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor of Amatrice. "I believe the toll will rise."

PHOTOS: Deadly earthquake in Italy








A woman on a wheelchair is pushed past a partially collapsed building is seen in the background following an earthquake, in Accumoli. (Andrew Medichini/AP Photo)

The magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. (0136 GMT) and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, including Rome, where residents felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks. The temblor shook the Lazio region and Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.

Premier Matteo Renzi planned to head to the zone later Wednesday and promised: "No family, no city, no hamlet will be left behind."

The hardest-hit towns were Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 100 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Rome, and Pescara del Tronto some 25 kilometers further east. Italy's civil protection agency said the preliminary toll was 38 dead, several hundred injured and thousands in need of temporary housing, though it stressed the numbers were fluid.

The ANSA news agency said 35 of the dead were in Amatrice alone, with another 17 dead in the province of Ascoli Piceno, which includes Pescara del Tronto, for a reported total topping 50.

The State Department is urging Americans in Italy to contact friends and family:


The center of Amatrice was devastated, with entire buildings razed and the air thick with dust and smelling strongly of gas. Amatrice, birthplace of the famed spaghetti all'amatriciana bacon-tomato pasta sauce, is made up of 69 hamlets that rescue teams were working to reach.

Rocks and metal tumbled onto the streets of the city center and dazed residents huddled in piazzas as more than 40 aftershocks jolted the region into the early morning hours, some as strong as 5.1.

"The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me," marveled resident Maria Gianni. "I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn't hit luckily, just slightly injured my leg."

Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she didn't know what had become of her loved ones.

"It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there's nothing left," she said, too distraught to give her name. "I don't know what we'll do."

As daylight dawned, residents, civil protection workers and even priests began digging out with shovels, bulldozers and their bare hands, trying to reach survivors. There was relief as a woman was pulled out alive from one building, followed by a dog.

"We need chain saws, shears to cut iron bars, and jacks to remove beams: everything, we need everything," civil protection worker Andrea Gentili told The Associated Press. Italy's national blood drive association appealed for donations to Rieti's hospital.

But just a few kilometers to the north, in Illica, the response was slower as residents anxiously waited for loved ones to be extracted from the rubble.

"We came out to the piazza, and it looked like Dante's Inferno," said Agostino Severo, a Rome resident visiting Illica. "People crying for help, help. Rescue workers arrived after one hour... one and a half hours."

The devastation harked back to the 2009 quake that killed more than 300 people in and around L'Aquila, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the latest quake. The town sent emergency teams Wednesday to help with the rescue.

"I don't know what to say. We are living this immense tragedy," said a tearful Rev. Savino D'Amelio, a parish priest in Amatrice. "We are only hoping there will be the least number of victims possible and that we all have the courage to move on."

Another hard-hit town was Pescara del Tronto, in the Le Marche region, where the main road was covered in debris. The ANSA news agency reported 10 dead there without citing the source, but there was no confirmation.

Residents were digging their neighbors out by hand since emergency crews hadn't yet arrived in force. Photos taken from the air by regional firefighters showed the town essentially flattened; Italy requested EU satellite images of the whole area to get the scope of the damage.

"There are broken liquor bottles all over the place," lamented Gino Petrucci, owner of a bar in nearby Arquata Del Tronto where he was beginning the long cleanup.

The Italian geological service put the magnitude at 6.0; the U.S. Geological Survey reported 6.2 with the epicenter at Norcia, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) northeast of Rome, and with a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

"Quakes with this magnitude at this depth in our territory in general create building collapses, which can result in deaths," said the head of Italy's civil protection service, Fabrizio Curcio. He added that the region is popular with tourists escaping the heat of Rome, with more residents than at other times of the year, and that a single building collapse could raise the toll significantly.

The mayor of Accumoli, Stefano Petrucci, said six people had died there, including a family of four, and two others. He wept as he noted that the tiny hamlet of 700 swells to 2,000 in the summer months, and that he feared for the future of the town.

"I hope they don't forget us," he told Sky TG24.

In Amatrice, the Rev. Fabio Gammarota, priest of a nearby parish, said he had blessed seven bodies extracted so far. "One was a friend of mine," he said.

The mayor, Pirozzi, estimated dozens of residents were buried under collapsed buildings and that heavy equipment was needed to clear streets clogged with debris.

A 1997 quake killed a dozen people in central Italy and severely damaged one of the jewels of Umbria, the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, filled with Giotto frescoes. The Franciscan friars who are the custodians of the basilica reported no immediate damage from Wednesday's temblor.

Pope Francis skipped his traditional catechism for his Wednesday general audience and instead invited pilgrims in St. Peter's Square to recite the rosary with him.

Valentina Onori in Amatrice and Fulvio Paolucci in Illica contributed to this report.



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