JUNE 18, 2015
BELLEVUE, WA
Two plumbers were significantly injured in a gas
explosion Thursday morning in Bellevue, officials reported.
The Bellevue Fire Department tweeted about the incident
around 9:45 a.m.
Bell fire gas explosion multiple patients 14300 block se
Eastgate way
— Bellevue Fire Dept (@BvueFD) June 18, 2015
Officials called it a “large diameter” gas line explosion.
— Bellevue Fire Dept (@BvueFD) June 18, 2015
Bellevue Fire said a gas line was hit as crews worked on
reconstruction at a business park. Two patients, a 45-year-old man and a
36-year-old man, suffered significant injuries and were transported to
Harborview Medical Center. No one else was injured.
Crews said the 45-year-old was in satisfactory condition at
Harborview, and the 36-year-old man was in serious condition and expected to be
transferred to intensive care.
Officials said the plumbers didn’t know the gas line was
live when they dug a hole to work on it. That is dumb, very dumb and it almost cost their lives.
A large area is still closed off around the explosion, as
officials are working to get the gas lines shut down.
A few evacuations were in place Thursday morning near the
building. A portion of Eastgate Way was shut.
Eastgate Way closed between 13500 & 14800 due to fire
incident. @BvueFD. Local access only. pic.twitter.com/upV7wgfJG7
— Bellevue, WA Police (@BvuePD) June 18, 2015
This story is breaking and will be updated as more
information becomes available.