Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion in Texas Critically Injures Five

Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion in Texas Critically Injures Five
A pumpjack sits on the outskirts of town in the Permian Basin oil field on January 21, 2016 in the oil town of Midland, Texas. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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HOUSTON—A series of natural gas pipeline explosions in Midland County, Texas sent five people to hospital with critical burn injuries, and interrupted energy pipeline operations in the area, officials said.

The region is the home to the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. oilfield, and is crisscrossed by oil and gas pipelines. The cause of the explosion and fire were not immediately known.