Father, Daughter Killed in Rural Pinal County, Arizona Gas Pipeline Explosion

A Pinal County natural gas pipeline explosion devastated a family in their home, killing a father and daughter and severely injuring a mother. The investigation into the Pinal County explosion has only just begin. However, officials already presume that the explosion had something to do with the major Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline that runs near the family’s residence, located in a rural area outside of Coolidge, Arizona.

The explosion occurred at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The blast occurred just over 100 yards from the residence, an explosion that sent massive flames in all directions. In addition to completely destroying the residence, nearby crops and utility poles were charred in the blaze. The residence itself did not have natural gas service.

Witnesses at the scene of the Pinal natural gas pipeline explosion advise that nothing is left of the residence. Once the fire was extinguished, all that was left was a smoldering pile of rubble.

Luis and Rosalina Alvarez had resided in their rural farmhouse on the outskirts of Coolidge for over 15 years before the deadly natural gas pipeline explosion. In addition to Luis and Rosalina, the family included three children, including Valeria, who was killed in the explosion along with Luis.

The remains of the father and daughter were not immediately discovered once the blaze was put out by firefighters. Search and recovery workers spent over two hours combing the wreckage before they were able to find the remains.

Rosalina somehow managed to escape the blast and inferno and was found walking on a nearby dirt road. Authorities indicate that Rosalina somehow managed to escape the inferno at her home by crawling out a window. She was rushed to an area medical center, with severe burns on over half of her body. Her specific, current medical status is not available.

There is no information about the whereabouts of the other two Alvarez children. They evidently were not in the residence at the time of the explosion

Because a major Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline is thought to be involved in the devastating blast, two federal agencies are at the scene investigating. These are the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Transportation. (The Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline is deemed to be part of the interstate commerce system; hence the reason these two federal transportation-related agencies are involved in the investigation into the deadly blast.) Although no specific time frame for the investigation has been indicated, representatives of the two agencies are expected to be at the scene of the explosion for at least a week.

The explosion was not the first tragedy to visit the Alvarez family in 2021. In January, a pair of inmates escaped from a prison in Florence, Arizona. The escaped inmates ended up assaulting Rosalina until her husband came to her rescue. As a result of this violent episode, the Alvarez family came to know Jose Guzman, President of Parents and Relatives of Victims of Crimes. The organization is a nonprofit that assists victims of crime and their families.

Guzman described the scene at the Alvarez home following the deadly explosion accident. “They didn’t have a chance. It was an immediate explosion. They lost everything. Their home was nothing left. You can’t even see the foundation of the home. It’s like if they dropped a bomb.”

If you’ve been injured of lost a loved one in an explosion accident, the experienced, caring legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. A nationwide law firm, with 40 offices located across the United States, you can connect with us any time of the day or night by calling (800) 349-0000.

We can arrange an initial consultation with an explosion accident lawyer at your convenience. We can arrange an appointment with an explosion accident lawyer at any one of our offices, at your home, or anywhere else that is convenient for you. We can also arrange a virtual case evaluation online. There is never a charge for an initial consultation and case evaluation with an explosion accident lawyer from our firm.

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