21 workers were injured Saturday morning when a fiery explosion rocked the Kuraray America EVAL facility in Pasadena, Texas: a pressure safety valve released ethylene, causing a flash fire in one process units

Twenty-one workers were injured Saturday morning when a fiery explosion rocked a Pasadena industrial plant.

About 270 workers were inside when a valve blew, sparking a flash-fire just at 10:22 a.m. at Kuraray America EVAL facility on Choate and Bay Area Boulevard in the southern Harris County, officials said.

Crews quickly doused the blaze, but 19 workers suffered burns and were taken by ambulance to local hospitals, according to John Krueger, spokesman for the La Porte Office of Emergency Management. Another two were flown to hospitals.

None of the injuries werer life threatening, Krueger said. No shelter-in-place order was issued. Initial reports indicated 22 people were injured, but late Saturday officials revised that number to 21.

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Workers injured in explosion and fire at Kuraray America EVAL plant 
By Don Loepp
 
 
Kuraray America Inc. Kuraray America is headquartered in Houston, and is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Kuraray Co. Ltd. The company makes EVAL-brand EVOH barrier resin in Japan, the United States and Belgium.

Updated — Twenty-one workers at Kuraray America Inc.'s Pasadena, Texas, ethylene vinyl alcohol plant are being treated for injuries, following a May 19 fire at the facility.

Company officials said the fire occurred at about 10:22 a.m., local time. The fire has been extinguished, according to company officials and the Pasadena Office of Emergency Management.

Preliminary findings indicate a pressure safety valve released ethylene, causing a flash fire in one process units. The company and authorities are investigating the incident.

“At the time of the incident, 266 employees and contract personnel were onsite as part of a turnaround with heavy maintenance activities. All have been accounted for. Twenty-one individuals were transported to off-site medical facilities for treatment,” Kuraray America officials said in a statement.

The Pasadena Office of Emergency Management said there was no danger to the public.

“A fire explosion (h)as occurred in the EVAL plant. Multiple emergency vehicles in route. The city will continue to monitor the situation and advise you if you need to take action,” the city said in a statement.

“On behalf of Kuraray America, Inc., we send our thoughts and prayers to those who were injured and impacted by today’s incident,” said Eric Bass, plant manager, in a news release. “Our team is committed to determining the cause of the incident.”

Kuraray America is headquartered in Houston, and is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Kuraray Co. Ltd. The company makes EVAL-brand EVOH barrier resin in Japan, the United States and Belgium.

Two speeding and drunk off-duty NY police officers die after John M. Martinez, 39, crashes his rented 2018 Maserati onto a large tree on Oliveria Road in the town of Shandaken, NY killing self and his passenger Michael Colangelo, 31, of Huntington Station

SHANDANKEN, Ulster County (WABC) --

Investigators have determined that it was the groom who was behind the wheel in a crash that killed two off-duty NYPD officers on the night one of them had gotten married.

The wreck happened around 11:20 p.m. Sunday on Oliveria Road in the Ulster County town of Shandaken, about a mile away from the reception site.

New York State Police say the driver of the 2018 Maserati at the time of the crash was Michael Colangelo, 31, of Huntington Station. The front passenger was John Martinez, 39, of Hauppauge.

Colangelo was married for just hours to his bride Katherine Berger, now a widow.

The initial information indicating Martinez was the driver was partially based off witnesses who observed Martinez behind the wheel as the vehicle left the resort, police said.

Further investigation revealed that Martinez and Colangelo switched positions at some point during the trip.

Police say their preliminary analysis indicates the vehicle was speeding when it left the roadway, and neither the driver or front seat passenger were wearing seat belts.

Photos released by state police showed the vehicle was badly damaged.

Scene in Ulster County where 2 off-duty NYPD officers were killed in a one-car crash following a wedding in which one officer was the groom.

Wakes for both men will be held on Long Island Thursday. Their funerals will be on Friday. ============================

SHANDANKEN, Ulster County (WABC) --

Two off-duty NYPD officers were killed in a one-car crash in Ulster County Sunday night, on the night of one of officer Colangelo's wedding.

It happened around 11:23 p.m. on Oliveria Road in the town of Shandaken, about a mile away from the reception site. It appears they had recently left the reception.

Police say that John M. Martinez was driving a 2018 Maserati when it suddenly left the roadway and hit a large tree.

That caused the vehicle to flip onto its roof.

Michael Colangelo, 31, of Huntington Station and Martinez, 39, of Hauppauge, were pronounced dead at the scene.




These people were coming from a reception at the Full Moon Resort.  Obviously, there was a lot of drinking;  and then is late night  and they are not very familiar with the area.  They speed on this beautiful car, the 2018 Maserati, and then crash the car onto a tree.  Two dead, one injured. 
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21 May 2018
State Police investigate a fatal crash in the town of Shandaken

 NEW YORK STATE POLICE

 Major Pierce V. Gallagher
 Troop F Commander

PRESS RELEASE

 On May 20, 2018, at approximately 11:23 p.m. State Police Kingston responded to a report of a one car fatal motor vehicle accident on Oliveria Road in the town of Shandaken. Investigation at the scene revealed that a 2018 Maserati, being operated by John M. Martinez, left the roadway and struck a large tree before overturning and coming to rest on it's roof. Michael Colangelo, age 31, from Huntington Station, N.Y. and John M. Martinez, age 39, from Hauppauge, N.Y. were pronounced deceased at the scene. A third occupant was transported to Albany Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries. The State Police were assisted at the scene by the Town of Shandaken PD, Ulster County Sheriff's Office, NYC DEP, Big Indian FD, Pine Hill FD, Oliveria FD, Phonecia FD, and Shandaken EMS.

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Two off-duty New York City police officers, one who was a groom celebrating his wedding day, were killed Sunday night after their vehicle crashed into a tree in upstate New York, police said.

John M. Martinez, 39, and Michael Colangelo, 31, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in Shandaken, about 72 miles southwest of Albany. Colangelo, a K9 officer, got married to his wife Katherine and hosted their reception at Full Moon Resort, not far from the crash site, a state police spokesman told Fox News. Martinez was an officer at the 84th Precinct in Brooklyn.
 

Martinez was driving the 2018 Maserati just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday when the vehicle “left the roadway and struck a large tree,” New York state police said in a news release. The car overturned and ended up on its roof.

 

Michael Colangelo, 31, was an NYPD canine officer and got married on Sunday before the fatal car crash. (NYPD Special Ops)

A third passenger, who was not the bride but a family friend of the groom, was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The trio were leaving the reception when the crash occurred. Police said they have not released the cause of the crash.

Both officers were from Long Island.

Colangelo and his wife were planning a honeymoon in Costa Rica before his tragic death Sunday, according to the Honeyfund page. They had asked guests to contribute money to their honeymoon.

“We know it's not traditional but it would be a lot of fun, to have some items on our wedding list that will help us catch some sun! So if you'd like to give a gift to send us on our way, a donation to our honeymoon would really make our day!” the couple wrote on their page.

They added, “Then while we're relaxing on the beach, or by the pool so blue, we'll sit back and know that it is truly thanks to you!!”

62-year-old Albert Lee Edwards Jr., dies in his Indianapolis, IN home fire after smoking next to oxygen tank

IFD: 62-year-old man dies in east side fire after smoking next to oxygen tank
  FOX59 Web
May 20, 2018
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – 

The Indianapolis Fire Department responded to a fatal fire Sunday morning. The blaze was caused by the victim smoking next to an oxygen tank. IFD said the family identified the victim as 62-year-old Albert Lee Edwards Jr., a lifelong Indianapolis resident. His family said he was released from the hospital three days ago.

At around 11:30 a.m., authorities were dispatched to the 4300 block of Fletcher Ave. on the report of a fire. Two other people in the house escaped unharmed.

This is the seventh fire-related death in the IFD service district in 2018.

IFD officials encourage the public to learn about fire safety through its website.

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Smoking, oxygen tank use suspected in fatal Indianapolis house fire

Tim Evans and Justin L. Mack, IndyStar 

May 20, 2018



(Photo: Indianapolis Fire Department)

An Indianapolis man died Sunday in an east side house fire that investigators believe started after he was smoking near his home oxygen tank.

The death of Albert Lee Edwards Jr., 62, is the second fire fatality in Marion County in five days — and the seventh in the Indianapolis Fire Department service district in 2018.

Edwards died in a fire reported at 11:23 a.m. Sunday in the 4300 block of Fletcher Avenue.

Brianna Chislom, 2, died Wednesday of injuries sustained in a Beech Grove house fire.

IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith said flames were not visible from the outside of the home when firefighters arrived, and that the fire had nearly burned itself out.

Three people, including the victim, and two dogs were inside the structure when the fire began, Reith said. The other occupants made it out of the home safety, but were unable to save Edwards.

The victim was pulled from the home when first responders arrived, but was pronounced dead at the scene, Reith said. Family members told investigators that the man had been using a home oxygen tank and smoking prior to the incident.

The official cause of the fire remains under investigation. A report said it was not immediately clear if the home had working smoke detectors.

In a statement, Reith said IFD officials are "concerned about the number of preventable, accidental fires and fire-related fatalities — occurring specific to the age group of 50-59."

She reported department statistics show that to be the most affected age group in the IFD service district. Reith said that group accounted for 33 percent of the IFD fire-related deaths in 2015, compared to 18 percent nationally that year, according to U.S. Fire Administration.

Over a five-year period spanning 2013-2018, Reith added, 27 percent of IFD's fire-related fatalities involved victims between the ages of 50 and 59.

"The seven fatalities that have occurred in the IFD Service District this year have all been ruled accidental — preventable," the statement said, adding the average of those victims is 62.