"Contractors worked throughout the night to remove and replace an 800-foot swath of Interstate 77 that turned from asphalt to cinder in a massive natural gas line explosion that also flattened four homes and damaged five more but caused no deaths."

"The Tuesday afternoon blast between Sissonville and Pocatalico, about 15 miles outside the capital city of Charleston, melted guardrails, cooked the green enamel off highway signs and burned utility poles, while leaving a huge hole in the highway. Though several people were treated for smoke inhalation, no serious injuries were reported either on or off the major commuter route.

But hours afterward, respiratory therapist Sancha Adkins was still shaky. She was heading north toward a patient's home in Ripley, a tractor-trailer behind her, when a flash alongside the highway caught her eye."

John Raby and Vicki Smith report for the Associated Press December 12, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Pipeline Safety a Long-Standing Concern" (Charleston Gazette) [3]