Steam Pipe Explosion New York City Disaster

The Steam Pipe Explosion which occurred on the 18h July 2007 in the crowded streets of Midtown, Manhattan, New York City, USA, is perhaps the latest mind boggling and disastrous event of the century. A forty storey high shower of mud and flying debris kept all the pedestrians scared to death and dub struck. Later it was found that the massacre occurred due to the failure of a Con Edison 24 underground pipe installed in 1924.

The steam bursting out of the pipeline was approximately 4000F or 2000C. According to some evidence it was reported that a tow truck was lifted about 15 feet by the hot steam. The 23 year old truck driver had an 80% burning injury and was immediately medically induced to coma for two months. Gregory McCullough was fortunate to save his passenger, 30 yrs old a mother of two and own life from the Steam Pipe Explosion. They were released from the New York Presbyterian Hospital three months after the hospital.

More than 500 police officers and fire fighters responded to the crisis. Among them 1 police officer and 3 fire fighters were wounded seriously. The place was immediately secured and pedestrians were restricted to access. Even some workers were devoid of returning homes from their offices and many were not allowed top go to the office the next day. Several panels of investigators were created to reach the root cause of such a devastating Steam Pipe Explosion. Latest reports reveal that it had been caused due to the forced open of a weld when the rupture occurred. It was straight on the shoulders of the Con Edison for the negligence. According to an engineer, the pipe should have been changed instead of welding when the crack appeared.

The 18th July 2007 Steam Pipe Explosion totally disrupted the New York City normal functions. The telephone and the internet connections were disrupted. Since the pipes were coated with human carcinogenic asbestos, so a huge expense was made on the environmental clean up. Due to this the transportation and the economy was also disrupted. About hundreds of million U.S. dollars went away within a week.

After the Steam Pipe Explosion, the C.E.O. of the Consolidated Edison or Con Edison was called for a City Hall hearing on 7th August where he was showered with arduous questions by the local law makers. But the New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was not satisfied and decided to have a round of question regarding the monopoly status of the Con Edison.

Kevin Burke did not show up instead sent William Loghi his vice president, operation to face it. Councilman Leroy Comine proposed to take over Con Edison. Panels of investigation continue, reports are being published. But the damages made are irreplaceable. In spite of 12 such Con Edison Steam Pipe Explosions neither Kevin Burke nor the Government could prevent the 13th one. Wikipedia