Two killed and others injured in gas explosion in Collin County, officials say

A gas explosion in Collin County killed two people and injured others, officials say.

The Collin County Sheriff’s Office said the blast happened Monday afternoon north of Farmersville at FM 2756 and State Highway 78.

“The scene is safe, but we ask that you try to avoid this area, if possible,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.

Employees for Bobcat Engineering and Fesco Petroleum Engineering, as subcontractors for Atmos Energy, were performing maintenance on a pipeline when the explosion happened, according to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to two deaths, two workers were taken to a hospital, officials said.

In a statement to McClatchy News on Monday night, Atmos Energy declined to release additional information or names of those involved “out of respect of their privacy.”

“Our prayers are with those who were affected by the events in Farmersville, Texas,” Atmos told McClatchy in a statement. “Our highly trained technicians continue to work with the fire departments and emergency first responders to monitor the situation and make sure the area is safe. Our number one priority continues to be the safety of the public, our employees, our contractors, and our natural gas distribution system.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety, Wylie Fire Department, Farmersville Fire Department, Collin County Fire Marshal and FBI were also at the scene, officials said.

The sheriff’s office said the FBI was assisting in investigating the scene “due to their post-blast expertise” though the explosion appears to be an accident.

This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 6:06 PM.