Hospital Releases Two People In Tugboat Explosion

Alabama Mississippi Two people were killed four people were hurt.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Fri, November 20, 2009 - 9:30 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, November 20, 2009 - 11:01 pm CST

ESCATAWPA, Mississippi - There's new information on an explosion aboard a tug boat that killed two people.
It happened Friday afternoon at the VT Halter ship terminal in Esctawpa, Mississippi along the Pascagoula River.
Four people were hurt.
Company officials are not releasing names, but a friend of one of the injured identifies him as Robert Nettles of Grand Bay.
He was being transferred from Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula to USA Medical Center in Mobile, where another victim was taken by LifeFlight earlier in the afternoon.
Company officials said the explosion happened aboard a tugboat.
William Skinner, the Chief Executive Officer of VT Halter Marine, said, "They were cleaning a tank, getting it prepared to be painted."
Skinner said the tugboat was under construction and almost finished.
He said, "We had a crew of our employees working in one of the machinery spaces preparing one of the tanks for paint. And, we're not really sure what happened, but we do know that there was some type of flash explosion, and that's all under investigation. We don't know what caused it."
Three injured workers were brought to Singing River hospital in Pascagoula, but one was transferred to USA Medical Center.
A friend identified that worker as Robert Nettles of Grand Bay.
The friend said Nettles told him how his face and hands were burned.
According to Nettles friend, Nettles told him "the guy was down in the tank, wiping down with paint thinner, and he was standing above the tank and one guy just came out of the tank. He said when it blew, he said he was standing over the tank and the fire came up out of there and it got his hands and face."
Steve Roberts lives about a half a mile away from the shipyard.
He said he heard an explosion a little before 4pm Friday.
Roberts said, "This yard's been here like 20 years or so and I've never known of anything like this happening before."
When asked if the considered this a safe facility, Skinner said, "Absolutely. Very safe."
Two people are being treated at USA Medical Center.
The other two people hurt were treated and released from Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula.

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