Eleven people on a weekend camping and fishing outing were killed by the explosion. As federal investigators probe the charred aftermath of a massive and deadly natural gas explosion in New Mexico, attention turns once again to the precarious safety of the nation's aging pipelines.
Witnesses decribe the blast.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator John Hammerschmidt said a probe into what caused the 30-inch diameter pipe to explode would likely take months. Saturday's pre-dawn pipeline blast on the Pecos River scorched the riverbanks, burning tents where two families were camping. Eleven people were killed, including five children. Officials said the natural gas pipeline burst and showered burning fuel on the victims. The heat of the explosion was so intense that sand melted into glass and concrete turned to powder, a federal investigator said.