Two workers dead and three life-flighted with injuries after an Oil and Gas rig burst open. What was at first reported as a rig explosion or fire has now been deemed an incident where piping  was under too much pressure and blew apart. There was no fire.

Last night, December 5, around 8 p.m. emergency responders from San Augustine County, Sabine County, Nacogdoches County, Pineland and Joaquin began reporting to the scene on FM Road 353- also known by many as White Rock Road. Initially, they believed an explosion and fire had occurred. San Augustine Sheriff Robert Cartwright reports instead that a “loose hydraulic line” at an old well that workers were attempting to prime and restart, accumulated too much pressure and that caused the line to burst, killing two and sending three more to trauma hospitals in the area.

Cartwright also reports the site superintendent was present and investigating. 

The companies associated with this rig are Jaguar and E6 Oil and Gas, both of which had employees fatally lost. Their identities are not being released at this time, due to attempts to first notify the families involved. 

The three workers life-flighted are reported to be stableized with non-life threatening injuries.

More information, as it becomes available.