On Monday, a report of a gas line rupture quickly turned fatal when a gas line exploded injuring 15 individuals. The incident occurred in Murrieta, CA after new home owners called out the Southern California Gas Company to repair a gas line damaged by a private solar contractor. 31-year-old Wade Kilpatrick was instantly killed in the explosion shortly after 11am. He was with the SoCal Gas Company for 14 years begininng his career as a meter reader.
He leaves behind his mother, 6 brothers and a sister. One of his brothers is also an employee at the company," the company said in a statement.
"Obviously, it is an incredible loss for our company. We are a strong family, and this - as you said - obviously takes a big toll on the company and we will continue to process through this."
The explosion was reported about noon at the 23500 block of Wooden Horse Trail.
"It really just seemed like a war zone, the roofing was everywhere, glass was everywhere," one woman told ABC7. "People were running around, a couple of the workers who were bloodied were still trying to walk and we had to get them to sit."
The preliminary investigation revealed that the solar contractor did not call 811 to determine if utility lines were nearby. The gas company urges everyone to be sure to contact the utility number before digging.
"Our deepest sympathies are with all those impacted by the Murrieta incident. Sadly, we lost one of our technicians today. He will be greatly missed. We urge all contractors & homeowners to call 811 to have utility lines marked prior to digging of any sort. "
