Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit are investigating an offshore explosion on the night of August 17 in south Plaquemines Parish that killed one person. Sgt. Kate Stegall with LSP says they got a call that a natural gas pipeline had exploded in a marshy area near Venice, and 40-year-old Joshua Nichols of Lake Charles was missing. After an investigation, Stegall says they found that Nichols had died in the explosion.
“Yesterday [August 18], with the assistance of the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, they were able to recover Mr. Nichols’ body,” she adds.
Police believe Nichols was working on the pipeline at the time of the explosion. No one else was injured in the explosion or resulting fire. Stegall says the pipelines have been blocked off, as one of them is still burning the reserve natural gas in the line.
“The area has been deemed safe,” she says. “There was an air quality test that was done and there is no threat to the public.”
The cause of the explosion and the incident are under investigation.
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