Petroleum Tank Blast in Texas Kills Four teenagers(Palestine, Texas)

http://www.kansascity.com ^ | 4-12-03 | OXENinFLA

[OXENinFLA]

Petroleum Tank Blast in Texas Kills Four Associated Press

PALESTINE, Texas - A petroleum tank exploded as five teenagers were standing on top of it, killing four, authorities said.

Three of the teens were pronounced dead Friday night at the scene of the explosion in the Long Lake area, about 10 miles west of Palestine in eastern Texas.

A fourth died Saturday afternoon at a hospital where she was airlifted following the blast, which occurred about 10 p.m. Friday. A fifth was treated for minor injuries and released.

Authorities said the blast threw some of the teens between 50 and 75 yards away, police said. The tank, owned by Key Production Company Inc., had about 6 inches to a foot of oil in the bottom.

Investigators were trying to determine what ignited the blast.

A witness said he saw flames shoot up about 100 feet in the air. Vernel Smith, who lives about a mile from the scene, said she felt her house shake.

"It rocked my house from front to back," Smith said. "I thought my water heater had exploded or something."

Lt. Chuck Franklin said the teenagers were camping at a cabin with their grandfather Friday night, and at some point went for a walk and ended up at the tank.

[_Jim]

By the same token - why can't the families of those teens be sued? What assets do some of those 'kids' have exposed that might be sizable enough and worth going after?

[Sloth]

Good point. If it can be shown that the teens caused the explosion through their own reckless disregard, a suit by the tank owner against their estates would have more merit. :)

[Clara Lou]

I'm going to keep this simple: I do not find that the manner of death of these teens means that the gene pool has been improved by their deaths. Neither do I assume that, because of they way these teens died, their parents or their grandfather were somehow negligent or unfit. I do feel sad that a family has lost so many loved ones. Such a loss is crushing.

[Anchoragite]

Funny, I went to school in East Texas, don't remember a single PR campaign that said "Don't cross fences."

Average teens think that all warnings are akin to "Don't run with a sharp stick." They are the definition of "Sophomoric" -- just smart enough to start figuring things out, but just foolish enough not to know what it is they're figuring. It's why we call them "Sophomores," for cryin-out-loud.

They should not be expected to know everything, and we as a community should do more than laugh at their parents and call them "stupid." -- especially considering that the folks who work in those facilities are probably required to have a whole slough of safety training/procedures on the exact dangers that facility poses before they're allowed to set foot on the equipment.

[goodnesswins]

Well....yes...as I agreed....it was crass of me to state that....and I apologize....however, I'm also pointing out what the "no boundaries" type of child raising has wrought.

[Pern]

No kidding! I forgot all about it! Thank you! Show's you how often I update my profile page.

[Timesink]

For?

For having big pockets. The legal definition of "liability" has little to do with actual fault any more.

[Servant of the Nine]

Funny, I went to school in East Texas, don't remember a single PR campaign that said "Don't cross fences."

They should not be expected to know everything,

Are people incapable of learning anything without a "campaign"?

I grew up in East Texas too.
I don't remember any campaign either, but by the time I was old enough to wander around unsupervised I sure knew not to cross a fence, any fence. I knew not to mess with oil tanks or pipelines. I knew not to lay down between railroad tracks to see if the train could pass over me safely.
Can't we at least expect them to have a little basic knowledge of their world?

... we as a community should do more than laugh at their parents and call them "stupid."

Why?
They are stupid.
When you find stupid children like this, you will find stupid parents who "childproofed" the house, letting the kids grow up with an unrealistic huggy soft view of the world.
Kids have so little smarts cause mommy and daddy always coddled them and didn't let them get little hurts to learn not to get big ones. Their parents are the ones who taught them they are invulnerable.

Definite Darwin Award Nominees.

SO9

[_Jim]

Duh!

[WOSG]

"Four Palestinians Killed by Big Oil Company"


I am shocked that Israel hasnt been blamed yet!

[RichardW]

I live in Palestine. This is real sad. These were just some young kids who couldn't resist going where they shouldn't.

[goodnesswins]

Oh, but to teach children about "boundaries" and that they CANNOT DO ANYTHING THEY WANT, would be MEAN..../sarcasm.

[TXnMA]

I was reared in an oil company residential "camp", and, as Scouts, the only place we had to use for campsites was in the "oil patch". AFAIK, none of us even approached any of the production sites (wells -- where these sort of holding tanks are located).

1. We were taught that the oil facilities did not belong to us -- therefore we should leave them alone. (Does any kid nowadays honor the principle of respecting other folks' property?)
2. None of us smoked. (Little danger of us causing a fire/explosion even if we happened to pass close to a fume-filled tank.)
3. We were well aware that the main reason for collecting oil and gas was that -- they burn!

I now have a producing well (complete with two holding/accumulating tanks) back in the woods of the 'south 40' of my place.. My grandkids have been taught to stay away from everything at the well site.

My guess is that these deceased kids' parents were way too permissive, and that they (like most modern parents seem to do) failed in their duty to teach their kids basic principles of right versus wrong.

[I got the rope]

I've worked near Palestine for Pinnacle Gas. The oil from that part of East Texas has anywhere from 1 to 2 percent Hydrogen Sulfide. At this concentration it could ignite easily. There is also alot of off gassing from the oil being done in those large tanks during the day. I suspect they opened a hatch and lit a match or a lighter to look inside. Very sad.

[MeekOneGOP]

How awful. I have an aunt and uncle that live not far from Palestine.

[jocon307]

Very sad. I can just see the headlines when this hits the New York Times.

LOL, you get the last word in my mind!

[Rebelbase]

"Why do parents not explain to their kids, it's not a ood idea to play around a construction site"

Some of my best memories as a kid are from exploring places I was'nt supposed to be.

[Junior]

I bet you it was some sort of jackass stunt gone bad.

[TXnMA]

We think alike. (See my #73...)

[nanny]

My grandkids have been taught to stay away from everything at the well site.

A lot of people are making the assumption the parents never told the children not to do what they did. Did everyone on here always do what their parents told them to do? Did any of you ever disobey? Gosh, I was a ninny and a complete coward and I did many things I was told not to do, things I knew I shouldn't do, dangerous things - as a teenager.

Young people don't have the same sense of self-preservation as most older people,and they give little thought to their own mortality.

Yes, it was not smart - but dollars to donuts, they weren't the first kids in the 'oil patch' to play on top of oil tanks, or ride the pumps or any of those other dangerous things that kids do, and survive.

They did a dangerous thing and paid with their lives - and it is sad.