Evacuation ordered after gas plant explosion; no injuries reported

NUNNELLY, Tenn. (AP) — An explosion Friday at a natural gas plant in Tennessee led to an evacuation order for people within a mile of the facility, but no injuries were reported, authorities said.

The explosion happened at the Tennessee Gas Pipeline/Kinder Morgan facility located in Nunnelly, about 60 miles southwest of Nashville.

A mandatory evacuation was ordered for residents within a 1-mile radius of the plant, the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office said. The Fairfield Church of Christ and the Nunnally Community Center were open for anyone needing shelter, officials said.

An explosion and fire happened at a compressor station due to an equipment failure, Kinder Morgan said. The company said it plans to investigate what caused the equipment to fail.

Local law enforcement and fire departments responded to the scene as well as hazmat crews with the Nashville Fire Department and Franklin Fire Department. Crews were still working to extinguish a small fire around noon, but there were no air quality concerns, said Amanda Siegel, Hickman County Emergency Management Agency director.

It wasn’t clear when residents would be able to return to their homes, she said.